The Goalie returned to practice with the New York Rangers on Wednesday, but it remains uncertain whether the 29-year-old goaltender will be available for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.
He has been sidelined since suffering an upper-body injury in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 7, just before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. When the Rangers resumed practice on Tuesday, he skated on his own, with head coach Peter Laviolette describing his status as day to day.
On Wednesday, Igor Shesterkin participated in the first 30 minutes of practice before exiting as part of a planned routine. Dylan Garand, who was called up from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) on Tuesday, took over his net for the remainder of the session, while Jonathan Quick worked at the other end.
Initially expected to miss 1-2 weeks, Shesterkin’s injury timeline aligns with Friday marking two weeks since he was hurt.
The Rangers face a busy schedule coming out of the break, with back-to-back games this weekend—visiting Buffalo on Saturday before traveling to Pittsburgh for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Penguins. They also play the Islanders at UBS Arena on Tuesday, making it three games in four days.
In 39 appearances this season, Shesterkin has a record of 18-19-2, posting a 2.87 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and three shutouts. While he has shown dominant stretches, he has also struggled at times behind a porous defense, allowing four or more goals in 13 games.
Rangers coach decides to ‘avoid that question’ regarding key prospect Brennan Othmann
Since there are still four Rangers at the 4 Nations Face-Off and two who have just returned, additional Hartford players participated in practice Wednesday. None were officially recalled, except Garand, who was summoned on Tuesday.
Forwards Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, Jake Leschyshyn, and defenseman Matthew Robertson all participated in the fast-paced session.
Berard played 19 games for the Rangers earlier this season, recording his first seven points (three goals, four assists) in the NHL. At least some of those games could have gone to Othmann, but the 2021 first-round pick was sidelined for more than two months this season after suffering an upper-body injury on October 19 in Hartford’s third game.
Brennan Othmann returned to action on Dec. 27 but has truly hit his stride in recent weeks. The 22-year-old power forward has been on a tear, scoring nine goals in his last 11 games, including two multi-goal performances in his past three outings.
Could the Rangers consider calling him up for the stretch run?
Head coach Peter Laviolette dodged the question, saying he preferred not to comment out of fairness to the three other Hartford players who also practiced with the Rangers on Wednesday.
“It’s good that he’s back, healthy, and contributing by scoring goals,” Laviolette said. “Those are all positive signs and good steps for him.”
When asked about potential call-ups, Laviolette kept things open-ended: “At some point, we might need somebody, and we’ll take the player who’s performing well at that time.”