The New York Rangers have a crucial decision on the horizon with superstar goalie Igor Shesterkin entering the final year of his contract. The world-class netminder is seeking a massive contract extension that will make him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history. Someone will be willing to pay Shesterkin, but whether or not he gets that deal from the Rangers is the ultimate question.
Igor Shesterkin loves the Rangers but can’t make promises about his future
Shesterkin’s love for the city of New York and the fans of the Blueshirts cannot be questioned. He repeated his sentiment of gratitude for the organization while speaking with the media this week. However, Shesterkin also could not make any guarantees about his future with the team:
“I love the organization, I love the team, I love the fans,” Shesterkin said (h/t Dan Rosen of NHL.com). “So of course it will be great to stay here, but you never know what can happen.”
Shesterkin is currently playing on a four-year, $22.6 million contract that he signed in 2021. He will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires next summer. The Rangers would like to get an extension done with Shesterkin before then, however, his lofty contract demands could be a difficult hurdle for the Blueshirts to clear.
Extending Shesterkin will be the team’s top priority, however. The 28-year-old Russian goalie has been a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in each of the last three seasons and won the award for his efforts during the 2021-22 campaign.
In 2023-24, Shesterkin was the backbone of the Blueshirts, posting an elite .912 SV% with a 2.58 GAA. Across his 55 starts during the regular season, Shesterkin earned a 36-17-2 record. His brilliance carried into the postseason as Shesterkin carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals with a .926 SV%.
As a result of his elite play across the last five seasons, Shesterkin is seeking a record-setting contract that could pay him in excess of $12 million AAV. With such limited salary cap space, the Rangers might struggle to give Shesterkin the deal that he desires.
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Rangers GM Chris Drury wants to get a deal done with Shesterkin
Rangers general manager Chris Drury emphasized the importance of extending Shesterkin while speaking with the media this week:
“I’m not going to get into any private discussions or negotiations with Igor or his agents publicly, but you all know what I think of Igor and what we all think of Igor around here and we certainly hope he’s here and a Ranger for a long time,” Drury said per NHL.com. “You know how important he is to our team and our organization. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he’s here for a long time.”
Extending Shesterkin will be the team’s top priority. However, whether or not the Rangers are willing to meet his contractual demands has yet to be foreseen. It will be interesting to follow how these negotiations unfold as the upcoming season wears on.
