NY Rangers' Igor Shesterkin Leaves Game Early With Apparent Leg Injury

The New York Rangers have seen their star goalie leave with an apparent leg injury.

Oct 6, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a save on a shot on goal attempt in the second period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers came into Friday feeling great ahead of their matchup against the Washington Capitals. However, at about the midway point of the game, a key player was forced to leave early. 

With a 4-1 record through the first five games, the Rangers have been able to get off to an excellent start. This is a team that has been firing on all cylinders, with the team looking better than last year on all levels. 

One of the key players, as expected, has been Igor Shesterkin. The talented goalie has been one of the best in the league early on, but the Rangers saw him leave the game early in a lot of pain with an apparent leg injury. 

Igor Leaves Early 

⚠️ Igor Shesterkin leaves #NYR  game with right leg injury, needed help from trainer. Dylan Garand now in goal. pic.twitter.com/VCvaSr44Dq

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) October 10, 2026

At about the midway mark of the second period, Shesterkin was scrambling back toward the net and jammed his skate into the post, which seemingly impacted his leg. 

He went down in the net right away and was slamming his pad on the ground in pain. After being down for quite some time, he was finally helped up by a couple of teammates. 

However, Shesterkin was not putting any weight on his right leg coming off the ice with the help of his teammates, and New York will be holding their breath. 

Shesterkin has been off to a great start to the season, and he was playing well in this game also. With Joonas Korpisalo still out, it was Dylan Garand who came in to replace the injured goalie. 

When looking at Shesterkin’s struggles coming off the ice and not being able to put weight on his leg, Garand might be heading into a major role with the team. It’s hard to imagine that Shesterkin is not going to miss time based on how he looked and the pain that he was in. 

Hopefully, it’s not anything too severe, but he was clearly hurting. While he hasn’t played a ton, Garand has been effective. In his only start of the season, he was able to record a shutout against the Detroit Red Wings on the road. 

If Shesterkin does miss time, Garand is going to get a chance to prove what he can do in the league. Many were concerned that he might get picked up when they put him on waivers to start the year, but ultimately, he cleared. The injury to Korpisalo resulted in him being called back up, and he could be the starting goalie going forward.