The New York Rangers have placed their goaltender Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve, as confirmed by a source familiar with the situation.
This individual opted to remain anonymous due to the lack of an official announcement regarding the matter.
The source indicated that Shesterkin is dealing with an upper-body injury that will keep him off the ice for the time being.
This news comes at a challenging time for the Rangers, who are currently enduring a four-game losing streak.
They have lost seven out of their past eight games and have managed to win only four of their last 19 matchups.
As a result, the team has dropped from a promising playoff position to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and is barely ahead of the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference standings.
Shesterkin, who recently inked a hefty $92 million contract extension lasting until the 2032-33 season, holds a record of 11-15-1 this season, with a goals-against average of 3.10 and a save percentage of .906 over the course of 27 games.
The 29-year-old had an impressive season last year, winning the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender, with a GAA of 2.58 and a .912 save percentage.
His performance was crucial in leading the Rangers to secure the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular season record and guiding them to the Eastern Conference final, where they fell to the Florida Panthers, the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Shesterkin’s placement on injured reserve follows recent moves by Rangers general manager Chris Drury, who traded away captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks and winger Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken earlier this month.
These transactions were intended to revitalize the team’s performance and address their current struggles on the ice.
