The New York Rangers will be without two major stars for atleast a month. Defenseman Adam Fox has been placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been placed on injured reserve. Goaltender Spencer Martin and defenseman Scott Morrow have been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
What the Rangers will be missing
Shesterkin is the second-best netminder in franchise history. He is considered week to week after a non-contact injury forced him to leave the game, not putting pressure on his left leg. This season, Shesterkin is 17-12-4 with a .912 save percentage and a 2.52 goals against average the injury is not considered season-ending but he may be out close to a month. Veteran Jonathan Quick will be the starter in place of Shesterkin and he has a record of 3-6-2 this season with a 2.23 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
Fox will once again be on the shelf after just returning from missing 14 games with an upper-body injury. Being placed on LTIR means that Fox will have to miss 10 games or 24 games. Fox has four goals and 24 assists for 28 points this season.
Martin has played in two leagues this season. He started with CKSA Moscow and posted a 5-6-2 record with a .905 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average. With Hartford, he is 1-4-1 with a 3.01 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. He is expected to be Quick's backup for the time being.
Morrow was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the K' Andre Miller deal. He will likely see some power play time as he does have offensive capabilities. This season with the Wolf Pack he has one goal and four assists for five points in 14 games.
The Rangers have struggled this season and these two injuries may play a significant role in thier second-half success. Fox and Shesterkin are two massive players on the roster and missing any time will effect the team's performance. With the unknown of the actual injuries we do not know how long they will actually be out of action. However, the Rangers need to find something to get themselves back on track before they miss the playoffs once again.