Rangers' Shesterkin Suffers Severe Lower-Body Injury in Capitals Loss

Key points

• Shesterkin injured his right leg in the second period while defending a power play, appearing to jam his skate against the post.
• The 30-year-old was assisted off the ice by teammates without putting weight on his leg and did not return to the game.
• Rookie Dylan Garand replaced Shesterkin, making 11 saves, but Boone Jenner scored the game-winning goal late in the second period.
• The Rangers are currently without both their starting and backup goalies, as Joonas Korpisalo remains week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
• Coach Mike Sullivan described the injury as 'concerning' but provided no specific diagnosis or timeline for Shesterkin's return.

Background

Shesterkin had been performing exceptionally well to start the 2026 season, recording a 3-1-0 record with a 1.75 goals-against average. He also scored the first goal in New York Rangers franchise history during a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 1. This incident follows a similar lower-body injury in January 2025 that caused Shesterkin to miss 13 games. The broader context of New York sports injuries includes recent setbacks for Yankees star Aaron Judge and Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, which has fueled speculation about a 'curse' affecting the city's teams following the Knicks' NBA title.

How outlets are covering it

The New York Post and Fox News emphasized the severity of the injury and the emotional impact on the team, with Fox News framing it as part of a broader 'NYC curse' affecting major sports franchises. NHL.com provided a more clinical account, focusing on the mechanics of the injury and the immediate roster implications, noting that backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo is also unavailable. ESPN's coverage was unavailable due to a server error, so no perspective could be extracted from that source. All available outlets agreed that the injury is a significant setback for the Rangers, who were leading the Eastern Conference before the incident.

Why it matters

The injury to Shesterkin, a Vezina Trophy winner and the Rangers' most critical player, creates a major crisis for the team's goaltending depth. With both primary and backup goalies unavailable, the Rangers must rely on a rookie with limited NHL experience, potentially impacting their playoff prospects. The incident also highlights the fragility of the team's early-season success and raises concerns about the long-term health of a key franchise player.

What to watch

The Rangers will likely seek a medical update on Shesterkin's condition in the coming days. Dylan Garand is expected to start the next game, with the team hoping to manage the workload until Shesterkin is cleared to return. The absence of both goalies may force the team to adjust its defensive strategy and could impact its standing in the Eastern Conference.