Spencer Martin's path to Rangers stardom is nothing short of surreal. The 30-year-old goalie, who was fighting for scraps with CSKA Moscow in the KHL just a few months ago, now finds himself on the precipice of becoming the New York Rangers' starting goaltender.
It all started when Martin's contract got terminated after 14 games in Russia, followed by a two-year deal with the Rangers that brought him back to the NHL. But instead of being content with a setup role, Martin leaptfrogged 23-year-old Dylan Garand on the organization's depth chart despite having a lackluster 1-4-1 record and .903 save percentage in AHL Hartford.
And now, with Igor Shesterkin nursing a lower-body injury, Martin is poised to take over as the Rangers' starter. According to head coach Mike Sullivan, it's all about performance: "A lot of it is just based on performance and how guys are playing... we obviously have to have a guy that is gonna give us the best chance to win when we put him in the net."
Martin has accumulated an impressive 59 NHL starts and 66 games played since his debut with the Avalanche in 2016-17. He's also logged over 251 AHL games, demonstrating his reliability as a backup goalie.
But make no mistake, this is a long shot for Martin. The Rangers would ideally have Shesterkin back in action soon, allowing Quick to handle most of the load. However, if that doesn't pan out, Martin's whirlwind journey could take another dramatic turn.
As Sullivan puts it, "A lot of it is just based on performance and how guys are playing." Martin's past performances suggest he has what it takes to fill the Rangers' nets. With a little bit of luck and a healthy dose of confidence, Martin might just find himself hoisting a Stanley Cup in New York City sooner rather than later.
It all started when Martin's contract got terminated after 14 games in Russia, followed by a two-year deal with the Rangers that brought him back to the NHL. But instead of being content with a setup role, Martin leaptfrogged 23-year-old Dylan Garand on the organization's depth chart despite having a lackluster 1-4-1 record and .903 save percentage in AHL Hartford.
And now, with Igor Shesterkin nursing a lower-body injury, Martin is poised to take over as the Rangers' starter. According to head coach Mike Sullivan, it's all about performance: "A lot of it is just based on performance and how guys are playing... we obviously have to have a guy that is gonna give us the best chance to win when we put him in the net."
Martin has accumulated an impressive 59 NHL starts and 66 games played since his debut with the Avalanche in 2016-17. He's also logged over 251 AHL games, demonstrating his reliability as a backup goalie.
But make no mistake, this is a long shot for Martin. The Rangers would ideally have Shesterkin back in action soon, allowing Quick to handle most of the load. However, if that doesn't pan out, Martin's whirlwind journey could take another dramatic turn.
As Sullivan puts it, "A lot of it is just based on performance and how guys are playing." Martin's past performances suggest he has what it takes to fill the Rangers' nets. With a little bit of luck and a healthy dose of confidence, Martin might just find himself hoisting a Stanley Cup in New York City sooner rather than later.
I mean he did play decently in the AHL, and 66 games played is a lot. But at the same time, his .903 save percentage is kinda meh. And what about Dylan Garand's record last season in Hartford? Not saying Garand would've been better but still... I guess it's all about performance now? 
If Shesterkin gets hurt again this could be a disaster for the Rangers. Martin has some experience, so maybe he'll surprise everyone. But "surrise" is such an ugly word when you say it out loud 
I mean, come on... 30 years old and he's still trying to prove himself? Like, didn't he learn from his CSKA Moscow stint that being a backup goalie isn't all it's cracked up to be? And now he's gonna jump ahead of some young kid just because he's having a decent AHL season? I guess you could say he's proving Sullivan right – performance-wise, but not exactly the most intelligent way to do it 
. Still, can't deny the dude's got experience and a strong track record... maybe he'll surprise us all and be the next Conn Smythe winner 
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i mean who would've thought he'd go from fighting for scraps in khl to starting for the rangers? his record with the avalanche was pretty decent too, not that it matters now lol. anyway, shesterkin's injury is a blessing in disguise for martin, lets see how he handles the pressure 
i think he's got this, he seems like the kinda guy who'd thrive under the spotlight 
. Still, gotta give the guy credit - he's got a lot of experience under his belt (251 AHL games and all that). And if the Rangers are willing to take a chance on him, maybe he'll prove us all wrong 
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Can you even believe Spencer Martin's story?! I mean, he was fighting for scraps in Russia just months ago and now he's on the cusp of becoming the Rangers' starter! 
It's all about his performance and how well he plays, right? I think he's got this! He's already had so much experience in the AHL and in the NHL. His numbers aren't too shabby either! 1-4-1 record might seem rough, but it's not like he's been blown away by guys who are way ahead of him on the depth chart. 
And let's be real, a little luck never hurts anyone! 
I'd love to see Martin in action and hopefully hoisting that Stanley Cup soon! 
The Rangers are taking a chance on him and I think it could pay off big time. Sullivan's right, performance is everything in goalies. If Martin can stay focused and keep his cool under pressure, he could be the difference maker for the team. Fingers crossed Shesterkin recovers soon tho 
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I'm low-key obsessed with this Spencer Martin storyline 
It's crazy to think he just outplayed Garand and took the backup goalie spot. Sullivan's right though - performance is key 
. If Martin can get hot at the right time, watch out! I mean, 59 NHL starts under his belt says a lot about him, but we'll see if he can put it all together. One thing's for sure, this guy's got some ninja-like reflexes 
️...can't wait to see how this plays out 
. I'm a bit skeptical about him taking over from Shesterkin, but hey, performance matters, right? Let's see how he does under pressure 
. The fact that he was able to jump ahead of Garand in the depth chart despite his rough record in Hartford? That's just smart move-making by Sullivan 
. Of course, it's still a long shot, but I'm all for rooting for the underdog 
. Martin's got this, and who knows, maybe we'll see him hoisting that Cup in no time 
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The kid's got 59 NHL starts under his belt, so yeah, he's definitely shown he can do it. But for real though, this is a long shot... I mean, who expects Martin to take over when Quick was ready to go 
. It's like he got some kind of magic spark injected into him or something 
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. The Rangers would love for Shesterkin to get back healthy ASAP, but if he doesn't, Martin might find himself in way over his head 
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