New York Rangers injury update: Igor Shesterkin skates on own, doesn’t practice

When the New York Rangers reconvened on the ice for the first time in more than a week Tuesday, Igor Shesterkin was not among those participating. The 29-year-old goalie remains day to day with an upper-body injury sustained before the 4 Nations Face-Off break in the schedule.

Shesterkin reportedly is skating on his own but not yet practicing with his teammates. Goalie Dylan Garand was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League and took part in practice along with veteran Jonathan Quick.

“He’s still day to day,” was all that Rangers coach Peter Laviolette offered up about Shesterkin.

The Rangers’ No. 1 goalie was hurt in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 7. He didn’t travel with the Rangers to Columbus the next night, when Quick backstopped an exciting 4-3 comeback victory in New York’s final game before the break.

Before that game it was revealed that Shesterkin will miss 1-2 weeks with an upper-body injury, seemingly a fortunate timeline considering the two-week break for the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

Though it’s an unspecified injury, it appeared that Shesterkin hurt his hand or wrist during the second period against Pittsburgh. After a scramble by his net when he got tangled with another player’s stick, Shesterkin took off his blocker and appeared to be in pain. He was checked out by the Rangers trainer, remained in and finished the game.

It’s the second time Shesterkin’s been injured since late December. He sustained an upper-body injury against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 30 and missed four games. Shesterkin returned Jan. 9 against the New Jersey Devils, a 3-2 overtime win, and was in top form, posting a 6-0-1 mark to help the Rangers vault back into the Eastern Conference playoff race.

However, his results were mixed after that. Shesterkin has lost four of his past five starts, allowing 17 goals in the four defeats.

It’s part of an uneven season for Shesterkin, who landed the richest contract for a goalie in NHL history in November but has had his share of highs and lows in 2024-25. Overall, Shesterkin is 18-19-2 in 39 games with a 2.87 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and three shutouts. Though he’s had dominant stretches, Shesterkin also has struggled at times behind a leaky defense. He’s allowed four or more goals 13 times this season.

On a recent Rink Rap podcast, Rangers radio analyst and former captain Dave Maloney was critical of Shesterkin’s season, though hopeful that he’ll come up big over the final 27 games.

“We will set the parameters that he is in the top three goaltenders in the League still. But the standard that he set has been compromised this season,” Maloney explained. “There’s no question, you don’t get to the playoffs without quality goaltending. Does he need to be Igor in the last [27] games? Yes, he does. Has he been consistently? No he hasn’t been.”

Later Maloney added, “The numbers haven’t been great. But he’s built a pedigree that you have to believe that coming down the stretch he’ll be closer to who he’s been than what he’s been this season.”\

Mika Zibanejad, Urho Vaakanainen set for Rangers return Wednesday

The Rangers resume play Saturday when they begin a three-game road trip in Buffalo against the Sabres. They visit the Pittsburgh Penguins the next day and then play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena next Tuesday. A four-game homestand follows.

They’ll enter the stretch drive sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference, three points out of the second wild card.

Laviolette explained that the practice Tuesday was simply a chance to get the players back on the ice, “get some touches” and do some skills work. Each day forward will ramp up to game day Saturday.

Neither Mika Zibanejad nor Urho Vaakanainen was present at practice. Each was playing at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but their teams were eliminated Monday. They’re expected to be in New York on Wednesday, though Laviolette said not to expect either to practice since each player has been going full out practicing and playing at the international tournament.

“We’ll probably give them a minute here,” is how Laviolette phrased it.

Zibanejad scored one goal in two games for Sweden, but he missed a 2-1 win against the United States on Monday because he was ill. Vaakanainen played three games for Finland.

The championship game is Thursday at TD Garden in Boston, when the United States faces off against Canada. Adam Fox, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider all play for Team USA, and Kreider scored 35 seconds into his 4 Nations debut on Monday after being a healthy scratch in the first two games.

Laviolette said with these players rejoining the Rangers right ahead of that game Saturday, he’s unsure yet how their lines will be deployed.