The New York Rangers have been in the spotlight for a while considering they have been trying to get an extension done for superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin. While conflicting reports have made negotiations interesting between the two sides, there is still nothing completed yet. There was a belief that Shesterkin could ask to be the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history, and reports circulated that he rejected an offer that would have made that come true.
According to Kevin Weekes, Shesterkin rejected a massive eight-year extension worth $88 million, or $11 million annually. While the Shesterkin saga continues, there is another player who needs an extension, and he may be heading toward a massive pay raise.
Related: Rangers and Igor Shesterkin Trending Toward Long-Term Contract Extension
Alexis Lafreniere is a pending restricted free agent (RFA) in the final season of his two-year contract. He has a $2.325 million cap hit and is trending toward an increased workload and annual salary. His offensive game has been improving slowly and his defensive game has remained solid, so a long-term deal makes sense for both sides. In a recent report, pundit Frank Seravalli brought attention to a potential new contract for Lafreniere, suggesting an eight-year extension worth $8 million per season.
With so much focus on Igor Shesterkin, #NYR have also been working on a deal with Alexis Lafreniere going back to summer.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 11, 2024
Talks ongoing. Different options on table. One of them: 8 years x $8 mil range.
Details tonight on @SportsOnPrimeCA:pic.twitter.com/0TstJvskN6
The Rangers routed the Penguins in their first game of the 2024-25 regular season 6-0, and Lafreniere picked up a goal and an assist. Last season, he scored 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points through 82 games which comes out to a 0.69 points-per-game average. He managed to hit a career-high in all three offensive categories and seems lined up to increase his totals yet again. With the path he is on, Lafreniere seems destined to become a full-time top-six forward for the Rangers, and he could cash out before they inevitably enter a rebuild.
Rangers Could Build Around Lafreniere as Rebuild Nears
As the Rangers core ages, it’s unlikely they will have many more opportunities before they enter a rebuild or a retool. Lafreniere, who is only 23 years old, is someone the Rangers will want to have around for the entirety of their retool. While their prospect pool isn’t strong by any means, they could benefit from locking Lafreniere up long-term on top of building their future around him as well as Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, Adam Emstrom, Matt Rempe, and Braden Schneider among others.
After an entire summer of rumors surrounding captain Jacob Trouba and a potential trade, it became clear to fans around the league that the Rangers don’t have much more of a Stanley Cup window with their current core. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, as well as Trouba, are all aging and could have their play begin to decline at any moment. Trouba’s defensive play began to diminish last season and it seems inevitable that will continue considering his play against the Penguins wasn’t great.
At the end of the day, Lafreniere is someone who is trending toward being a superstar in the NHL, so the Rangers should be trying to lock him up sooner rather than later, just in case they begin to decline and fall out of contention. The uncertainty surrounding Shesterkin combined with their aging veterans seems like a combination that should be concerning to fans. If they can’t get it done this season, things may start to change in a big way in New York.
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