Igor Shesterkin’s Contract Extension Could Have Consequences
Igor Shesterkin‘s contract extension is on the horizon, and the New York Rangers can’t afford to overpay him. The New York Post and the great Mollie Walker released a story on September 20th about New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin’s contract situation. Thus far, Shesterkin has downplayed the situation, instead keeping his focus on the upcoming season. It’s been no secret that the Rangers success comes down to mainly two things: goaltending and special teams. And so
now, the Rangers enter a precarious situation. Igor Shesterkin is deeply entrenched in the conversation for best goalie in the NHL. It will be his goal to have his next contract reflect that premier status. The Rangers, as currently constructed, cannot afford to lose a player of his calibre, but can they afford his exorbitant asking price?
Where Things Stand Now
Negotiations between team and player seem preliminary, at best. Coming off a strong regular season, he finished with a 36-17-2 record and a 2.58 goals against average and .913 save percentage. Moreover, Shesterkin was even better in the playoffs going 10-6 with a .927 SV%. Whatever leverage Shesterkin has now, it is probably as strong as ever right now. Thus, it comes as no surprise that initial reports say Shesterkin’s camp is asking for as much as $12 million a year. This amount would make him the highest paid goalie by a mile and a half.
Does Shesterkin deserve such a higher number? Absolutely. In the past 20 years, the Rangers have fallen victim to a very simple formula for success, and that formula has been, and continues to be, goaltending. It started with Henrik Lundqvist. How fortunate are Rangers fans to go from a Hall of Fame goaltender to a Russian star on track for a similar fate? Having an elite goalie between the pipes can cover up any warts. Furthermore, it’s a foundational piece of the Rangers’ make-up and has more times than not bailed them out of bad situations.
Considering Shesterkin is a Vezina Trophy winner and has two additional top-ten finishes in Vezina voting (including a top-5 finish), the case for his camp’s demands grow stronger. Excluding Carey Price’s extension from 2018, the top contracts in the NHL (per Spotrac) at the goaltender position are as follows:
