New York Rangers hotshot rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a non-displaced rib fracture in a car accident in Brooklyn on Sunday night and will be reevaluated in "a couple of weeks," according to Rangers president John Davidson.
Forward Pavel Buchnevich was also in the car and "shaken up," according to Davidson. Buchnevich suffered no significant injuries and is considered day-to-day. Shesterkin was driving the car.
Davidson said the driver in front of the players made a U-turn that led to the collision. Airbags were deployed.
"Seat belts were being worn by both players," Davidson said. "Thankfully for that. I mean thankfully for that."
Shesterkin and Buchnevich were taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital and were seen by Rangers team doctors.
Shesterkin, 24, a fourth-round pick of the Rangers in 2014, has long been the franchise's top goaltending prospect, especially after starring in the KHL. The Rangers made the surprise decision to call up the Russian in January -- despite having Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev on the roster. Shesterkin emerged as the Rangers' No. 1 goaltender in recent weeks, leading the 37-year-old Lundqvist to be a healthy scratch.
Regarding the accident, Davidson said: "In our business, you're dealt with curveballs all the time. That's a tough curveball that we have to deal with."
Shesterkin backstopped the Rangers to back-to-back wins over the weekend, including a 27-save performance in a 5-2 win in Carolina on Friday and a 44-save performance in a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square on Saturday.
Shesterkin is the first goalie in NHL history to have a .900 save percentage or better in all of his first 10 appearances since saves became a stat in 1955-56, along with the first to have four 40-save games and four 40-save wins in his first 10 contests.
Buchnevich, also a 24-year-old Russian, has 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in 61 games this season. He was a third-round pick of the Rangers in 2013.
Davidson announced the accident on Monday morning, ahead of the NHL's trade deadline. Davidson also announced that the team had re-signed forward Chris Kreider to a seven-year extension. Kreider, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, was considered the top available forward on the trade market.