It has been a busy week for the Rangers' goalie Igor Shesterkin. Just a few days ago, he signed a massive contract in New York. Now, his wife went into labor.
To replace him, the Rangers organization called up Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL.
Reports confirmed that Shesterkin had to step away from the team on Sunday, just before the start of the afternoon game between the New York Rangers and the Seattle Kraken, to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
With the Rangers set to play against the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night, it'll be interesting to see how long Shesterkin will be away from the action.
If he stays off the lineup, Garand could get to play his first game tomorrow, after being Jonathan Quick's backup on Sunday against the Kraken.
Drafted 103rd overall by the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Draft, Garand spent the past three seasons in the AHL. This year, in 11 games, the 22-year-old goalie has a 0.917 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average.
The Rangers sure hope that they'll be able to rely on Shesterkin soon, as they look to keep building momentum after their tough season start, which led to Jacob Trouba being traded to the Anaheim Ducks.
This season hasn't been Shesterkin's best so far. After 19 games, he has a 0.908 SV% and a 2.99 GAA. While these aren't bad numbers, he'll need to get them up if the team wants to catch up with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals in the Metropolitan Division.