An outlook on the future of New York Rangers’ goaltending

 The New York Rangers’ goaltending has become one of the team’s biggest question marks after over a decade of dominance by Henrik Lundqvist. Who is Lundqvist’s successor, when will Lundqvist hang up his skates, and where can the Rangers find a suitable backup in the meantime?

The New York Rangers have had one constant over the last thirteen seasons: Henrik Lundqvist. The Swede has put up Hall of Fame numbers while manning the net in New York, including eleven 30-win seasons.

However, Lundqvist is aging. There’s no way around it. In the past, Lundqvist was backstopped by respectable NHL backups, including Cam Talbot from 2013-2015, and Antii Raanta from 2015-2017.

Both Goaltenders went on to earn starting roles after leaving the Rangers, speaking to their abilities in net. Talbot and Raanta served key roles in the Rangers’ playoff runs during their respective seasons, proving the vital importance of backup goaltending.

Moving forward, the Rangers must mimic this formula if they are to return to competitiveness.

Now, more than ever, Lundqvist is sorely in need of a backup that can take the load off of his shoulders.

Backup to the King

Henrik Lundqvist can no longer be expected to play 70 games in a season (though he will surely try to). Instead, the Rangers should prolong his longevity by slotting a backup goaltender who can play approximately 25 games.

After Ondrej Pavelec had an unflattering season with the Rangers, it is expected that he will not sign another contract with the team. Pavelec finished the season with a 4-9-1 record, along with a 3.05 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.

Despite the Rangers’ horrid defense last year, these numbers are still not encouraging, especially from a goaltender that has simply never been consistent in his career. While it was believed that goalie guru Benoit Allaire would be able to right the ship in Pavelec’s career, it appears that just never materialized

After an injury briefly sidelined Pavelec, Alexander Georgiev, the Rangers’ undrafted signing from 2017 received his shot in the NHL. Georgiev went 4-4-1 during his brief stint and showed flashes of potential.

At only 22-years-old, Georgiev is still young in terms of goaltender development and proved to be head-and-shoulders above his veteran counterpart in Ondrej Pavelec. For this upcoming season, the backup goaltender position seems to be Georgiev’s to lose.

Georgiev should undoubtedly backup Henrik Lundqvist to gain NHL experience during a season that has little expectations, allowing management to get a better picture of Georgiev’s potential.

A full year in the NHL under a new coaching staff should give the management just that – enabling the team to see the extent of Georgiev’s abilities.

Heir-Apparent

Igor Shestyorkin is expected to be the Rangers’ starting goalie when he matures in the NHL.

The Russian 4th round pick in the 2014 Entry Draft has posted profound numbers in the KHL over the past two seasons. In 2016-2017, Shestyorkin went 27-4-6 with a 1.64 GAA and a .937 SV %. In 2017-2018, he posted equally strong numbers with a record of 20-4-4 and a 1.69 GAA and a .933 SV%.

Now, those numbers will almost surely take a massive hit in the NHL. However, Shestyorkin’s success is promising. If the Russian netminder can forge a positive relationship with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, he will be well on his way to success.

But, not so fast.

Shestyorkin needs time to develop into a head goaltender, and Lundqvist isn’t exactly ready to give up his spot on the team. While Lundqvist has three years remaining on his contract, I would not be surprised in the slightest if he continued his career with a reduced role after the age of 39.

If that’s the case, Shestyorkin will have two years to develop behind Lundqvist after he finishes his 2018-2019 KHL contract. After that, it would be healthy for Lundqvist to see reduced NHL games. It would also be beneficial for Shestyorkin to have such a seasoned backup on the bench.

This is an enviable position for the Rangers should Shestyorkin pan out as Lundqvist’s heir-apparent.

By then, the Rangers will be back into competitiveness, with a team that would be primed to make legitimate runs to the Stanley Cup.

The Tandem of the Future

As hard as it is to say, Henrik Lundqvist will one day not be a part of the Rangers’ goaltending situation.

While we’ve settled that Shestyorkin will likely be in the number one goaltending slot, the backup position, which is normally in flux, could already have an option.

Georgiev will undoubtedly have trouble remaining on the team when Shestyorkin makes the jump to the NHL. However, his young age could allow him to play behind Shestyorkin should Lundqvist choose to retire when his current contract expires.

With years of experience under their belt, both Shestyorkin and Georgiev could prove to be an extremely solid goaltending tandem for a team that will, by then, once again be in the mix for the Stanley Cup.

On the other hand, Georgiev could also find himself behind Shestyorkin, a talented young prospect, and Lundqvist, a Hall of Famer, when he would be primed to become an NHL regular.

If that’s the case, Georgiev could join the likes of Talbot and Raanta and find himself playing elsewhere.

This is simply because, while Georgiev has shown promising stints in his short NHL career, it is not expected for Georgiev to become an NHL starter, making him expendable for the Rangers moving forward.

Ultimately, how the Rangers’ situation in goal pans out will likely be in direct correlation to their future success.

If Shestyorkin finds his way in the NHL, the Rangers’ long-term success has no bounds. And, with Lundqvist still in the blue paint, the short-term still has loads of potential.