The New York Rangers were faced with the heartbreaking news of Igor Shesterkin’s injury on Saturday — he is now out for the remainder of his 2026-27 campaign.
Following the news, forward Mika Zibanejad shared his candid thoughts on the situation.
New York Rangers’ Zibanejad Reacts to Shesterkin’s Season-Ending Injury
Per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic, Zibanejad spoke with the media today and stated, “It’s our friend. It’s our teammate, and when that happens, you think about them. You obviously feel bad that they have to go through it. It’s just a tough situation — obviously for us, but mostly for him. So, that’s the situation that we’re in. Obviously we’ve got (Dylan Garand) now, so we’ve just got to rally around him and keep working on and keep building on what we’ve done at the start.”
“It’s our friend. It’s our teammate, and when that happens, you think about them. You obviously feel bad that they have to go through it. It’s just a tough situation — obviously for us, but mostly for him. So, that’s the
Shesterkin is an eight-year NHL veteran and has spent his entire career with the Rangers.
He only appeared in five games this season, and now he is sidelined for the rest of New York’s campaign.
In those five games, he recorded a 1.79 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. He also became the first goalie in Rangers’ history to score a goal.
Zibanejad has been playing with New York for the past 11 seasons, having spent the first five years playing with the Ottawa Senators.
Since July 2018, when the Senators traded him to the Rangers in exchange for Derick Brassard and a seventh-round draft pick in 2018, Zibanejad has been a teammate of Shesterkin.
The 30-year-old goaltender was selected 28th overall in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL draft.
As for Zibanejad, Ottawa selected him sixth overall in the first round of the 2011 NHL draft.
Where Does This Leave the New York Rangers?
Before his injury, Shesterkin was on a tear, and the Rangers were on a four-game winning streak.
But the Washington Capitals brought it to a screeching halt on Friday after defeating New York 3-1.
Shesterkin’s injury made headlines, and now the Rangers are in a predicament.
However, they do have young rookie Dylan Garand healthy and available.
If there’s anything positive to come from this frustrating situation, it’s that 24-year-old Garand could use this opportunity to break out.
During Garand’s 2025-26 campaign, he appeared in three games and logged a 1.62 goals-against average with a .948 save percentage.
This year, he’s only appeared in two games.
He currently owns a 0.67 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage.
That’s about to change.
Garand is carrying sudden weight on his shoulders; his performance will either make or break the Rangers.
Can the young goaltender step up in time to steer New York in the right direction?
New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad Reacts to Igor Shesterkin’s Devastating Injury