New York Rangers To Place Adam Fox On LTIR, Igor Shesterkin On IR
The New York Rangers will place defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and place netminder Igor Shesterkin on injured reserve, according to Mollie Walker of The New York Post.
While those injured reserve placements have yet to be officially announced, the Rangers did foreshadow the moves by recalling veteran netminder Spencer Martin and defenseman Scott Morrow from their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Rangers also reassigned forward Brett Berard back to the AHL.
The Rangers lost in overtime to the Utah Mammoth yesterday, and Shesterkin left that game with a non-contact lower-body injury.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported today that Shesterkin “avoided” the “worst-case scenario” with his injury, but is still being evaluated.
Any potential extended absence of Shesterkin would deal a massive, potentially fatal blow to the Rangers’ hopes of returning to the playoffs in 2025-26.
The 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner has started 34 games for New York this season, posting a .913 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against-average.
He’s widely considered to be among the league’s finest netminders, a status reflected by the eight-year, $11.5MM AAV contract extension he signed in December of 2024.
While the Rangers have a veteran backup in Jonathan Quick who has been stellar this season (.919 save percentage in 11 games), he hasn’t had to handle a significant workload since he was a member of the Los Angeles Kings. The three-time Stanley Cup champion made just 20 starts last season and 26 the year before. For as long as Shesterkin is out with this injury, Quick will now be counted on as the Rangers’ No. 1 goalie.
Supporting Quick in the crease is Martin, a 30-year-old veteran with 66 games of NHL experience. Martin was the No. 3 goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes last season but couldn’t find an NHL role for 2025-26 last summer, so he signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. Martin left CSKA and signed with the Rangers in November. He went 5-6-2 with a .905 save percentage in the KHL, and has a .903 save percentage in six games played for the Wolf Pack this season.
The Rangers could have also opted to recall 23-year-old Dylan Garand to the NHL to fill Shesterkin’s vacated roster spot, as the former CHL Goalie of the Year has been quite good in Hartford over the last few years and could be NHL-ready at this point. But seeing as Quick is likely to start most of the games in Shesterkin’s absence, it’s understandable that the Rangers would rather recall Martin, the veteran, and let Garand continue to get a steady diet of starts and develop at the AHL level.
While we don’t know how long Shesterkin is set to be out for, we do have a slightly more clear timeline regarding Fox. The 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner missed most of December with an upper-body injury, one that landed him on LTIR. He’ll now return to LTIR, this time with a lower-body injury, after just three games played. LTIR rules stipulate that Fox must now miss at least 10 games or 24 days of action. According to Walker’s report, Fox will be re-evaluated when he is eligible to be activated.
Replacing Fox on the Rangers’ roster is Morrow, who the team acquired this past summer as part of the K’Andre Miller trade. Morrow was ranked as the NHL’s No. 33 skater prospect by the team at Elite Prospects this past August, a billing he earned after scoring 39 points in 52 AHL games in his first full season playing pro hockey. The 23-year-old hasn’t been able to translate that level of production from the Hurricanes organization to New York, scoring just five points in 14 games in Hartford and three points in 16 games for the Rangers.
The Rangers at times gave Morrow a look quarterbacking their power play while Fox was injured, but he was unable to seize that role. With Fox now set to miss around a month or more, Morrow could get another look in that role.
The final player involved in transactions today is Berard. The 23-year-old has split time between Hartford and New York this season, skating in 20 games for the Wolf Pack (nine points scored) and 12 games for the Rangers (zero points). He’s a pending restricted free agent who was recalled at the start of 2026 and was dressed for the team’s Jan. 2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
He was a healthy scratch for yesterday’s loss to Utah. Newsday’s Colin Stephenson noted today that Berard’s reassignment leaves the Rangers short of spare forwards, which could suggest that one, or both, of injured forwards J.T. Miller and Noah Laba may be close to returning.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin Leaves Game Due To Injury
A potentially significant injury occured this evening, as New York Rangers star goaltender Igor Shesterkin left due to a lower body injury, and will not return, as announced by the team.
With around seven minutes remaining in the first of a scoreless game, Utah forward JJ Peterka lightly collided with Shesterkin in his crease in an innocuous play. The light impact sent the goaltender falling backward with his right pad planted, resulting in an awkward position and an apparent knee injury, which has many fearing the worst.
The 30-year-old is in year one of his eight year extension worth $11.5MM per season, solidifying himself among the league’s very best. In a time where scoring rates have climbed, Shesterkin holds elite statistics, with a .912 save percentage this season and a 2.47 goals-against-average to boot.
Thankfully, New York is tremendously deep in net, with ageless wonder Jonathan Quick as backup, who subsequently entered the game tonight along with his .924 save percentage. The Rangers also have Dylan Garand in the AHL, a well regarded prospect patiently awaiting his NHL debut, now in his fourth full season pro. However, Shesterkin is desperately needed if New York will be able to climb the ranks in the grueling Metropolitan Division and vie for a fourth straight playoff appearance.
After their exciting Winter Classic victory in Florida, the Rangers were hoping to turn the corner, but just five days into the New Year, they find themselves facing another massive challenge, if the superstar netminder will miss extended time.
Jack Johnson Announces Retirement
Again a free agent, Johnson signed with the New York Rangers on a one-year, $1.15MM contract. Unfortunately, he was limited to 13 games in the year due to a core muscle repair surgery.
Latest On J.T. Miller, Noah Laba
Colin Stephenson of Newsday Sports reported that Rangers captain J.T. Miller remains in a red no-contact jersey in practice this morning, while fellow forward Noah Laba was also a limited participant, skating on his own.
Meanwhile, Laba is also week-to-week with an upper-body injury, after taking a hard hit from Tom Wilson on New Year’s Eve. The rookie was an everyday player before the injury, with 12 points in 42 games on Head Coach Mike Sullivan’s third line. In his absence, 35-year-old depth forward Justin Dowling has slotted in from the AHL, getting to make his Rangers debut under the bright lights in Miami.
J.T. Miller Not Available For Winter Classic
- After sharing that Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t be available for the Winter Classic tomorrow, the visiting team will also be without one of their better forwards. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller won’t be able to return from his upper-body injury for tomorrow’s game. Miller, who hasn’t played since December 20th, was given a week-to-week recovery timeline, which would have made a potential return tomorrow relatively early.
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Urho Vaakanainen Added To Team Finland's Standby List
- Moving to Group B of the upcoming international tournament, the New York Rangers will have a defenseman on the standby list — this time for Team Finland. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Urho Vaakanainen will be available for Team Finland if they run into injury trouble. Vaakanainen played in three games for Finland last season at the Four Nations Face-Off, going scoreless with a -5 rating.
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Rangers Recall Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, Justin Dowling
2:54 p.m.: Laba has been listed as week-to-week with his upper-body injury, per Colin Stephenson of Newsday. He will not be in the lineup for the Winter Classic.
10:21 a.m.: The Rangers have recalled forwards Brett Berard, Anton Blidh, and Justin Dowling from AHL Hartford, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports. In corresponding moves, the team placed left winger Conor Sheary on long-term injured reserve and returned winger Brennan Othmann to Hartford. The club had an open roster spot entering the day, hence why only two roster spots needed to be opened.
New York’s recalls come after losing Sheary and Noah Laba to injuries in Wednesday’s loss to the Capitals, leaving them shorthanded leading into Friday’s Winter Classic in Miami. Laba remains on the active roster but is unlikely to be available for the outdoor game, according to Baugh.
As such, two of Berard, Blidh, and Dowling are set to feature against the Panthers at LoanDepot Park, home of MLB’s Miami Marlins. Berard is the only one of the group to see NHL time this season, going pointless with a -1 rating through 11 appearances.
The 23-year-old has been knocking on the door of a full-time roster spot for some time, but his waiver-exempt status and lack of offensive success on this year’s call-ups have limited his playing time. He was recently rostered as a healthy scratch during the holiday roster freeze, but hasn’t played an NHL contest since Dec. 15.
Still, the 2020 fifth-round pick got some reps in top-nine minutes last year, notching a 6-4–10 scoring line in 35 games as a rookie. It stands to reason his familiarity with the job will lead him to step in for Sheary as the Blueshirts’ third line left wing.
Even in the minors, it’s been a forgettable season for the 5’9″ lefty. After scoring 25 goals for Hartford as a rookie in 2023-24 and then managing 23 points in just 30 games last year, he’s gone cold with two goals, nine points, and a -9 rating in 20 showings this year.
Blidh, also a winger, seems the likeliest to serve as an extra forward with Laba’s absence stressing the need for a center option in Dowling. The 30-year-old is in his fourth season with the Rangers organization but hasn’t made an NHL appearance since debuting for New York in January 2024.
The 6’1″, 196-lb lefty was a sixth-round pick by Boston in 2013 and appeared in eight consecutive NHL seasons for the Bruins, Avalanche, and Rangers from 2016-24, reaching a career-high nine points in 32 games with the B’s in 2021-22. He’s never served as much more than a bottom-six penalty killing piece, even in the AHL, but is coming off a career-best 19 goals and 36 points in 71 games with Hartford last year. Through 28 showings this season, the Swede has a 3-4–7 scoring line in 28 games.
Dowling would be making his Rangers debut if he plays after signing a two-year, $1.55MM deal as a free agent last summer before ending up on waivers. While he’s the newest to the organization, the 35-year-old has the most NHL experience of the group at 152 games and is used to stepping in as a short-term bottom-six option.
The Calgary native made a career-high 52 appearances with the Devils last season, scoring seven points with a -6 rating while going 48.3% on faceoffs. Whether he or Sam Carrick gets the bump into third-line minutes to replace Laba remains to be seen, although considering Dowling’s produced well with 16 points in 24 AHL games, it’ll likely be him.
As for Sheary, it’s still not clear what caused him to exit yesterday’s game. Nonetheless, he’ll now be out for the Rangers’ next 10 games and 24 days. He will be eligible to return on Jan. 26 against the Bruins.
Signed off a professional tryout in training camp, the two-time Stanley Cup champion hasn’t found much success in third-line duties despite reuniting with former Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan. Despite averaging 14:35 of ice time per game, he’s scored just once in 37 appearances with an abysmal 1.8% shooting clip.
Needing to add so many players left the Rangers within a few thousand dollars of the cap – even with Sheary and Adam Edstrom on LTIR. Blidh and Dowling likely got the call-ups primarily because of their league minimum salary, making Othmann and his slightly more expensive $863.3K cap hit unaffordable for the time being.
After being made available for trade at the beginning of the season, Othmann, the No. 16 overall pick in 2021, has spent most of the year in the minors and has no points and a -3 rating in six NHL appearances. With four goals and 10 points in 19 games for Hartford, he’s likely hurt his trade value more than he’s helped it.
Latest On Noah Laba, Conor Sheary
This afternoon’s action was especially tough for the Rangers, as the team shared that Noah Laba (upper body) and Conor Sheary (lower body) did not return, as they lost to Washington. It was not immediately specified, but Laba’s injury is likely related to the heavy hit he sustained from Tom Wilson, while Sheary’s ailment was not as glaringly noticeable.
Rangers Activate Adam Fox, Reassign Scott Morrow
Dec. 31: The Rangers announced that defenseman Scott Morrow has been assigned to AHL Hartford, indicating Fox will be activated from long-term injured reserve and return to the lineup tonight against the Caps. Morrow had been up since just before Fox exited the lineup and had gotten a few reps as New York’s top power play quarterback in Fox’s absence, but the 23-year-old transition defender remained relatively unproductive.
As the Blueshirts’ most dynamic defense prospect continues to shift between the NHL and AHL, he’s up to three assists and a -1 rating in 16 games in the top flight this season while averaging 15:34 of ice time per game.
Dec. 30: The New York Rangers might soon be able to put a nightmare injury behind them. Star defenseman Adam Fox has been designated as a game-time decision for Wednesday’s match against the Washington Capitals, per Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic. Fox has missed the last 14 games with a shoulder injury sustained on Nov. 29.
Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan called Fox a “very difficult guy to replace,” speaking with Mollie Walker of The New York Post. That sentiment has reflected on the scoreboard for the Rangers, who have a 6-5-3 record and 34-to-39 goal differential since Fox’s injury.
Even after a month out of the lineup, the 2021 Norris Trophy winner still ranks third on the Rangers in scoring with 26 points in 27 games. Fox was tied with Artemi Panarin for the scoring lead at the time of his injury. He was also riding a six-game scoring streak that saw him rack up 10 assists, including one in the game he was injured.
Fox could keep that scoring streak rolling with a strong return from injury. He has been taking practice reps alongside Vladislav Gavrikov, who stepped up as New York’s top defender in December. Gavrikov averaged 25:11 in ice time over the last month, the seventh-most of all defensemen in the NHL. That run included Gavrikov reaching nearly 29 minutes of ice time in New York’s December 20th shootout-win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Fox should help shoulder that load and could find a chance to ease back into minutes against a Capitals team that New York beat 7-3 last week.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images.
New York Rangers Reassign Brett Berard
- It’s not uncommon for teams to shift around their roster coming out of the holiday break, and the New York Rangers are no different. This morning, the Rangers announced that they’ve reassigned Brett Berard to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He’s gone scoreless over 11 games this year in New York, and didn’t play throughout the duration of his recent recall.
- Similar to the Rangers, the New Jersey Devils also moved a depth forward back to the AHL today. New Jersey announced that they’ve reassigned Angus Crookshank back to the AHL’s Utica Comets. Unlike Berard, Crookshank played in multiple games throughout his recall, which began on December 5th. He scored one goal in eight games, averaging 8:36 of ice time per game.
- Back with the Rangers, the team could be getting a huge boost to their defensive core by the end of the week. According to Peter Baugh of The Athletic, Rangers defenseman Adam Fox has been downgraded to day-to-day and could return tomorrow against the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox, who hasn’t played since November 29 due to an upper-body injury, has missed the last 13 games for New York. He scored three goals and 26 points in 27 games before the injury.
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