The sidelining of Igor Shesterkin for all of 2026-27 is massive and awful. An altogether brutal situation for the goalie himself, the rest of the New York Rangers, their fans, and hockey as a whole. Much less importantly -- but the focus of our attention here -- it's also a considerable loss for invested fantasy managers. A top-10 goaltender, Shesterkin was essentially rostered across the board before suffering a devastating knee injury. He won't be easy to replace.
However, those affected have to try. One route to consider is the path currently taken by the Rangers themselves. Instead of immediately seeking outside help, GM Chris Drury is opting to promote Dylan Garand into the number one role, while corralling Spencer Martin over from AHL Hartford as backup. In his first game as the new go-to, Garand was good enough, stopping 19 of 21 shots in a 6-2 victory over the Canucks. He was also solid in relief of Shesterkin on Friday, and outstanding in shutting out the Red Wings earlier. So far, so good.
Still, it will be fascinating to see if Drury sticks with this plan for the duration, particularly if the Rangers remain competitive. They're certainly off to a good start. As good as he's looked, Garand has played all of six games at the NHL level. His numbers in the AHL last year were just okay (2.83 GAA, .896 SV%). Before settling on the unproven 24-year-old, I would first check on whether Florida's Jacob Markstrom or Toronto's Sergei Bobrovsky is there for the grabbing. Both remain available in about a third of ESPN Fantasy leagues. If not, then consider rolling the dice on Garand, or with one of the other viable options listed below. All is not yet lost.
Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.
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Goaltenders
Stuart Skinner, G, Winnipeg Jets (3.8 FPPG, 59.2% available): After suffering a loss to the Boston Bruins in the Jets' opener, Skinner is the winner of two straight, including a solid 32-save, 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. If the recent two-time Stanley Cup Finalist continues to perform like he did against Nathan MacKinnon and Co., and the Detroit Red Wings before then, the Jets won't miss Connor Hellebuyck nearly as much as otherwise.
Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Carolina Hurricanes (4.1 FPPG, 79.2% available): Working in tandem with Brandon Bussi, the Hurricanes' netminder is off to a good start with a 3-0 record, .912 SV%, and 1.64 GAA. While it will be interesting to see how he manages against tougher competition, the healthy-again goaltender looks confident. The Stanley Cup Champs are going to win more games than they lose. When offered the chance to compete, Kochetkov will earn positive fantasy integers more often than not.
Jake Allen, G, New Jersey Devils (1.9 FPPG, 75.8% available): On paper, the Devils are a quality hockey club, one that should be in the fight for a playoff spot by the time April rolls around. Allen is an experienced netminder with 500 NHL games to his credit along with solid career numbers. So far, he's been coach Sheldon Keefe's preferred choice between the pipes over 25-year-old Nico Daws. If the Devils perform to their potential, and Allen continues to earn the bulk of starts -- and GM Sunny Mehta doesn't wrangle another prominent netminder into the fold -- the veteran netminder could prove a rather valuable fantasy netminder at age 36.
Jacob Fowler, G, Montreal Canadiens (5.0 FPPG, 89.2% available): No, Fowler isn't the Canadiens' new No. 1 after starting two-straight instead of Jakub Dobes. But he was mighty impressive in stopping all 30 shots in Saturday's shootout win over the Red Wings. Dobes, on the other hand, has looked vulnerable so far, allowing 11 total goals in starts against the Hurricanes and Penguins. Fantasy managers willing to take a flier on a young and inexperienced, yet gifted, netminder might not look further than the 21-year-old in Montreal.
See also:
Joey Daccord, G, Seattle Kraken (3.3 FPPG, 49.2% available)
Lukas Dostal, G, Anaheim Ducks (1.7 FPPG, 56.6% available)
Forwards
Easton Cowan, F, Toronto Maple Leafs (2.0 FPPG, 74.5% available): With this year's top draft pick Gavin McKenna taking up a good portion of the spotlight, the Leafs' first-round selection from 2023 is also attracting attention with his productive start to 2026-27. No question, last spring's Calder Cup Championship run with the Marlies has helped Cowan further develop his game. Fitting in seamlessly with the NHL club, the 21-year-old has three goals and two assists through six contests.
Gabe Perreault, F, New York Rangers (2.0 FPPG, 73.9% available): The sophomore is satisfying heightened expectations so far, contributing to the scoresheet in all but two of New York's first seven games. Seeing ample on-ice minutes on a top unit with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Dorofeyev, Perreault will continue to benefit from rich opportunities to score.
Jackson Blake, F, Carolina Hurricanes (2.0 FPPG, 41.1% available): The trio of Blake, Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall is picking up where it left off as productive Stanley Cup Champions, combining for 17 points in seven games to launch 2026-27. While Hall sports value in deeper fantasy competition, Blake and Stankoven should be spoken for in all but the shallowest of leagues.
Jaden Schwartz, F, Colorado Avalanche (2.3 FPPG, 86.9% available): Enjoying a fresh lease on his career, the newest member of the Avalanche has three goals and three helpers through his first five games. This keeps up, and Schwartz might not be long in earning a spot in Colorado's top six. For now, ride the 34-year-old while he's producing from the third line and secondary power play.
Mikael Granlund, F, Anaheim Ducks (2.7 FPPG, 34.8% available): Five games in, the veteran forward has earned at least one point in every outing, including three of seven with the extra skater. But before grabbing the perennially underappreciated fantasy performer, perhaps wait for an update on Cutter Gauthier -- Granlund's recent linemate -- who left Saturday's game with an upper-body injury. Also, the Ducks play only twice this week.
See also:
Brayden Schenn, F, New York Islanders (2.4 FPPG, 77.3% available)
Kent Johnson, F, Columbus Blues Jackets (1.8 FPPG, 94.4% available)
Tommy Novak, F, Pittsburgh Penguins (2.3 FPPG, 73.6% available)
Defense
Adam Larsson, D, Seattle Kraken (2.2 FPPG, 55.7% available): Does your league reward blocked shots? Averaging 3.3/game, Larsson sits a-top the early table with Utah's MacKenzie Weegar. He also likes to bang his body around and shoots enough on net to further pad his fantasy numbers. Unlike Weegar, the Seattle defender is available in more than half of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Short-term streamers
Blake Coleman, F, Minnesota Wild (1.9 FPPG, 42.8% available): One of six to compete four times this week, Minnesota is the only club to play on two of the slowest nights -- Monday and Sunday -- when most of the league is idle. And I mean most, as there are only three games scheduled Monday and two on Sunday. Skating on a second line and power play, Coleman is worth streaming with three points to show for his first few games as a member of the Wild. If your blue line could use a boost, Jared Spurgeon is still flying under many fantasy radars, despite averaging 2.6 points/contest.
Carter Verhaeghe, F, Florida Panthers (0.9 FPPG, 30.5% available): Like the Wild, the Panthers compete four times this week, against the Sabres, Blue Jackets, Canucks, and Kraken. Not the worst schedule. A bit sluggish to start, Verhaeghe is bound to ramp matters up on Florida's second scoring line and, in place of Aleksander Barkov, on the top power play. On defense, Seth Jones is also due to put up livelier numbers shortly.