Igor Shesterkin Projected for Huge Bounce Back With NY Rangers

The 2026-27 season is expected to be a great one for New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin.

Mar 31, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) takes to the ice for the start of the game against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers did a lot of work on their roster this offseason, looking to shake things up after the team finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with only 77 points this past season.

There are new pieces up and down the lineup, headlined by the trade acquisitions of winger Pavel Dorofeyev and defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi. They will help stabilize things as members of the top two lines head coach Mike Sullivan will be deploying.

However, there was one position that remains relatively unchanged, and that is at goalie, where Igor Shesterkin remains locked in as the No. 1. Alas, he will have a new backup this year between Joonas Korpisalo and Dylan Garand after Jonathan Quick announced his retirement.

The Rangers certainly need better production from their backups. When Shesterkin was sidelined by injury, his replacements were not able to consistently step up, contributing to New York’s underwhelming campaign.

How many wins is Igor Shesterkin projected for?

Apr 11, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) skates back on the ice during the second period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Healthy once again heading into the 2026-27 season, Shesterkin looks like one of the best goalies in the NHL. Based on projections shared by Pete Jensen of NHL.com, he is set for a nice bounce-back year.

Jensen shared projections from a fantasy hockey perspective, with Shesterkin being the highest-ranked player on the Rangers. Rightfully so, as he is projected to win 32 games this season, which would be his most since the 2023-24 campaign, when New York set a franchise record with 55 victories in the regular season.

32 wins would have been the fourth most in the NHL this past season. Coming away victorious that many times would certainly put the Rangers in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and have Shesterkin in the running for the Vezina Trophy if he can keep New York in the running for a postseason spot.

Igor Shesterkin remains elite despite team's struggles

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) guards the net against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite the Rangers’ struggles this past year, Shesterkin remained an elite player between the pipes. His .912 save percentage was tied with Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals for the best mark among players who played in at least 50 games.

He did everything he could to keep his team as competitive as possible. With an improved group of players in front of him on the ice, the team’s overall results should improve drastically as long as he can stay healthy.

Based on his projected win total, New York is going to be a lot more competitive this winter.