The New York Rangers will try to contend again this season after a strong 2023-24 campaign that saw them make it to the Eastern Conference Final. They won the Presidents’ Trophy but couldn’t squeak by the dominant Florida Panthers who went on to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Related: Rangers Should Consider Offer Sheet to Evan Bouchard Next Offseason
While they didn’t make many moves this offseason, the Rangers still have a strong team. However, one lingering issue is the pending extension for superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who will become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Has Igor Shesterkin expressed he wants to stay with #NYR?
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 20, 2024
"I love the organization. I love the team. I love the fans. So, of course, it would be great to stay here, but you never know what can happen."
Shesterkin’s comments seem obvious because anything can happen when it comes to contract negotiations. However, it’s no surprise some Rangers fans are worried about what seems to be a lack of commitment from him.
While Shesterkin is lined up to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history, it’s a matter of which team will pay him that money. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take a slight pay cut to remain with the Rangers, but if he hits the open market next summer, he could get north of $12 million annually.
Shesterkin’s Average Annual Value Request Justified
While Shesterkin has made it clear he is focused on the current season rather than his looming extension, he knows he deserves to be the highest-paid goalie in the league. It’s hard to find any netminder close to Shesterkin. Juuse Saros signed a massive eight-year extension with the Nashville Predators this offseason worth $7.74 million annually, which was seen as a pay cut considering Saros is an elite-level goaltender. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is extended through the 2027-28 season with a cap hit of $9.5 million annually, so that may be the closest comparison we have heading into Shesterkin’s contract year.
Connor Hellebuyck, who won the Vezina Trophy most recently, could also be a fair comparable, except for the fact it seems he took a bit of a pay cut to return to the Winnipeg Jets at $8.5 million. In comparison to last season, Hellebuyck had a better goals-against average (GAA) with a 2.39 compared to Shesterkin’s 2.58 and had a .921 save percentage (SV%) in comparison to Shesterkin’s .913. When looking at statistics alone, they were extremely similar.
With the salary cap expected to go up yet again next season, combined with the Rangers making a push for the Stanley Cup this season, Shesterkin’s big ask seems justified. Vasilevskiy’s $9.5 million cap hit may be the minimum for Shesterkin’s camp. While he has yet to win a Stanley Cup, he is also one of the league’s most consistent goalies. In the 2021-22 season, he won his first Vezina Trophy and is consistently in contention for the award.
Throughout his impressive career, Shesterkin has played 213 games, winning 135 of them, and he has posted a 2.43 GAA and a .921 SV% with 15 shutouts. Last season alone, he posted a 2.58 GAA and a .913 SV% through 55 games, winning 36. He is also a solid playoff performer, with 44 postseason games, winning 23 and posting a 2.41 GAA with a .928 SV%.
Shesterkin looking for an eight-year extension worth around $11 million per season isn’t out of the question. The Rangers will have some tough decisions to make considering their aging core and lack of cap space if they lock him up long-term, but it’s tough to see a world where they want to move him or let him walk in free agency. However, if he hits the open market, any team with money to spend will put in an offer since a superstar goaltender is tough to come by, and a bidding war could drive his price up.
As the 2024-25 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.
