The MVP for the New York Rangers is their goaltender, Igor Shesterkin. He has been the backbone for this team ever since becoming the starting goalie in 2021. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie during the 2021-22 season, and although his numbers took a step back last season, he was the only reason the Rangers made it to Game 7 against the New Jersey Devils. Going into the 2023-24 season, he is once again going to be relied on to carry the load, but the Rangers should not not overplay him this season. They are going to need him at his best for the playoffs and this means they need to watch how many games he plays and may need to rely on the backup goalie to play a little more.
Injury Concerns
Shesterkin has dealt with injury problems in the past, and that is a reason for concern as to why the Rangers can’t overplay him this season. While he didn’t suffer any injuries last season, he did get injured in the two seasons prior and missed a good amount of time with each injury. You never know when a goalie can get injured. A routine save can cause an injury at any time during a game. If Shesterkin does get injured, the Rangers are going to be in serious danger of falling out of the playoff race
If the Rangers want to prevent any injuries from occurring to their star goalie, they are going to have to mange his game load and find the right number of games that is reasonable for him to play. Shesterkin played in 58 games last season, the most of his NHL career so far. The Rangers should try to keep his number of games in the mid-50s range. They should not push him past 60 games because that is where fatigue occurs and where injuries can happen.
Jonathan Quick Needs To Play Better
It has been concerning to see the way Jonathan Quick has played during the preseason. While the team in front of him didn’t give him much support, he was not good either. He didn’t win any of his starts and his overall game just looked like that of a player who has been on a decline for the past few years, which Quick has been. This is the first season in his career that he is truly a backup goalie. He needs to adjust to that and he needs to step his game up, because if he doesn’t, the Rangers are going to need to look for other options.
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If Quick doesn’t turn his game around, the Rangers are either going to have to look for a trade or call up Louis Domingue or Dylan Garand from the American Hockey League (AHL). Domingue would be the first choice because he has NHL experience, but he hasn’t been that good when playing on the big stage either. Garand hasn’t played a regular-season game in the NHL yet, but he looked decent during the preseason; granted he didn’t play an entire game when he suited up. The Rangers don’t have many options, which is why they need Quick to play better than what they have shown. The signing was questionable at the time because Jaroslav Halak played well for the team, but now it’s up to Quick to prove he can still play in the NHL.
Shesterkin Must Be Playoff Ready
The Rangers want to make it back to the playoffs again this season and if they do, they are going to need Shesterkin to be at 100% because if he is not, the Rangers are going to have a tough time. He has shown that he can carry this team in the playoffs, which is what he did the past two seasons, even getting two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final. When the playoffs come around, Shesterkin ups his game even more and that is what the Rangers are going to need of they want to make a deep run this season.
Shesterkin is the player who determines how successful the Rangers will be this season. He is the one player who carries the team every game he plays. He gives the Rangers a chance to win every night. This is why they need to watch his workload this season, because if something happens to him, the season could turn into a nightmare real quick.
