The New York Rangers placed Jonathan Quick on injured reserve as he continues to deal with a lower-body injury.
Quick was banged up after a collision with Michael Carcone in the third period of the Rangers' 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth.
The impact that Quick provides goes far beyond just his play on the ice, with his presence carrying a lot of weight in the locker room.
“He is an amazing goalie,” Shesterkin said of Quick. “I love him. Every practice with him is a new lesson for me. We try to help each other be better every day.”
It’s unclear exactly how much time Quick will miss. The Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League to replace the injured Quick.
The big question is if Mike Sullivan will utilize Garand in the same way he utilized Quick.
Shesterkin has started in 18 games, while Quick has started in 6 games. Sullivan emphasized during training camp the importance of managing Shesterkin’s workload in order to get the most out of him, which the team made a conscious effort of doing before Quick’s injury.
“We have an idea of what the workload should be in order to set up both guys for success,” Sullivan said during training camp. “Here's what I'll tell you, in today's game, it's hard to go wire-to-wire with one goaltender. The second goalie is required.
“We think in Shesty and Quickie, we’ve got two really solid guys. I think they can be complementary with one another. We're going to try to set both guys up for success, because ultimately that sets the Rangers up for success… I think for those reasons, it makes sense to make sure we have an eye on the workload and we manage it appropriately.”
Sullivan may shift his philosophy regarding Shesterkin’s workload now that Quick is out for at least the next few games.
He hinted at possibly increasing Shesterkin’s workload after practice on Tuesday.
“We're going to take each game as it comes. We'll probably make decisions on a game-by-game basis. What I will tell you is, I think, because we've managed Shesty’s workload to this point fairly well, if anyone's in a position to take on more of a workload, I think Shesty is postured to do that,” Sullivan said.
Shesterkin hasn’t been playing back-to-backs up to this point, but Sullivan’s message indicates that very well could change.
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In 18 games this season, the 29-year-old goaltender has posted an 8-8-2 record, .909 save percentage, and 2.50 goals against average.
“I can (play) better,” Shesterkin said of his play to kick off the 2025-26 campaign.
Garand has the potential to be a very capable NHL backup while Quick continues to recover.. He’s served as the Wolf Pack’s starting goalie for each of the past three seasons.
The 23-year-old goaltender had a career year during the 2024-25 season, recording a 20-10-9 record, .913 save percentage, and 2.73 goals against average.
“I think I showed this year that I can be one of, if not the, best goalies in this league and NHL caliber,” Garand said at the World Championship in May. “Obviously, I’m waiting for my opportunity up top. I know that if I keep putting in the work, that’ll come. Wherever I am, whether it is up there or here, I’m going to compete to win and keep working hard and getting better every day.”
Shesterkin goes from having a backup goalie that could mentor him to being a mentor figure for his new backup.
The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner had nothing but positive things to say about Garand.
“He’s a pretty good kid,” Shesterkin said about Garand. “I think he will have a good future. He works hard every day. It’s nice to see somebody else who works hard. If he needs something, of cours,e he can always ask me.”
The Rangers have a difficult stretch of games coming up against the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
All of the weight and pressure could fall onto Shesterkin’s shoulders, the Rangers’ 11.5 million dollar man.