Igor Shesterkin Was Bright Spot for NY Rangers in Lost Season

Things didn't go well for the New York Rangers this season, but Igor Shesterkin remains elite.

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. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NHL regular season was a difficult one for the New York Rangers, who were the first team eliminated from playoff contention in the Eastern Conference.

It is the second consecutive year that they will miss the playoffs, but optimism is on the rise within the organization. There is a solid young core emerging that has helped the team play at a higher level over the last few weeks, featuring Gabe Perreault, Willy Cuylle and Adam Sykora.

However, what makes a turnaround possible is that the Rangers have the toughest part of building a contender already set. Their goalie, Igor Shesterkin, is still one of the best netminders in the league.

His season has come to an end after 51 starts. New York coach Mike Sullivan started Jonathan Quick in the penultimate game of the season against the Florida Panthers in his final NHL appearance before riding off into retirement.

Igor Shesterkin remains elite for Rangers

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) defends the net against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

In the regular season finale, it will be Dylan Garand between the pipes for the Rangers, going up against Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be his third appearance with New York, and he looks to be the future replacement for Quick.

Garand is ticketed for backup duties because Shesterkin remains one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL. He will finish the 2025-26 campaign with a 25-19-6 record; overall, the team is 33-39-9 heading into the finale against the Lightning.

Shesterkin faced 1,425 shots this season and allowed only 126 goals, coming out to a goals against average of 2.50, which was seventh in the league. That is the third-lowest single-season mark in his career behind the 2021-22 campaign, when he led the NHL with a 2.07, and the 2022-23 season, when he had a 2.48 and made his first All-Star team.

IGOR SHESTERKIN GOALIE FIGHT VS. JACOB MARKSTROM pic.twitter.com/xiKuEauieb

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 1, 2026

His .912 save percentage was actually tied for the second-lowest of his career, but still ranked in a tie for third, along with Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals. An 11.4 goalie point share, per Hockey Reference, put him in a tie with Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders for fifth in the NHL.

The 23 goals saved above average that he recorded are No. 3 in the NHL behind Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche and Thompson, who both had 26. Shesterkin’s goals allowed adjusted of 85 is tied for fifth.

In his age-30 campaign, Shesterkin remains one of the best goaltenders in the league. As long as he continues playing near this level, the Rangers are going to be a tough team to beat, and he will continue being the face of the franchise.