Rangers Activate Shesterkin, Fox, and Sheary from IR as Brendan Brisson Looks Set to Make Debut
Shesterkin and Fox are back, Brendan Brisson is getting his shot, and while it may not save the Rangers’ season, it at least gives fans something new to watch.
The post-Olympic break part of the season kicks off with the return of some key players for the New York Rangers.
#NYR will have 3 players returning from injury on Thursday vs. PHI:
— Daily Faceoff - Fantasy (@DFOFantasy) February 26, 2026
☑️ Adam Fox (undisclosed) - out since Jan 5th.
☑️ Igor Shesterkin (lower-body) - out since Jan 5th.
☑️ Conor Sheary (lower-body) - out since Dec 31st. https://t.co/ugf5lEdXvZ
To make space for the returning players, the team announced the assignments of forward Brett Berard to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and goaltender Hugo Ollas to Bloomington Bison of the ECHL. The Rangers are now carrying 13 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders.
In addition to the returning veterans, forward Brendan Brisson appears in line to make make his New York Rangers debut tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mika Zibanejad is back on the ice for the #NYR this morning, with the lineup looking like this:
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) February 26, 2026
Miller - Zibanejad - Perreault
Cuylle - Trocheck - Lafrenière
Sheary - Laba - Brisson
Othmann - Carrick - Raddysh
Gavrikov - Fox
Schneider - Borgen
Robertson - Iorio
Sullivan on the decision to give Brendan Brisson a look:
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) February 26, 2026
"Based on my understanding in conversations with (Chris Drury) and staff and Grant Potulny in Hartford, Bris has some offensive instincts and potentially could be a guy that could help us in that area. We're going to try…
Brisson, the son of NHL super-agent Pat Brisson, was the 29th pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. Acquired last year at the trade deadline along with a third round pick in exchange for Reilly Smith, Brisson has performed well for the Hartford Wolf Pack, recording 23 points (10 goals) in 46 games and being named an AHL All-Star.
The Rangers were struggling to win even with Sheary, Fox, and Shesterkin in the lineup, but since those players have been out, the quality of play has completely deteriorated. The team has looked lost and non-competitive on a nightly basis.
Will the returns of (specifically) Igor and Fox be enough to turn the season around? No. Perhaps, though, it will lead to a more enjoyable experience for those of us watching the games.
As for Brisson, it's good to see an organization that is routinely (and often correctly) dragged for its inability to create space for young players rewarding the young man for his performance in the American Hockey League. Will he be a difference maker on the ice? Who knows, but he gets his chance and, in a lost season such as this, there's no harm in that.
