New York Rangers prospect Igor Shestyorkin’s probable final KHL season has come to end. Now, we must discuss his final days in Russia, and how his transition to North America should go.
The New York Rangers’ goalie of the future is likely nearing the end of his KHL career. Given the overwhelming amount of evidence in support of this theory, he will very likely sign an entry level contract with the Rangers over the summer.
Right now, though, Shestyorkin is gearing up for another deep playoff run on the consistently top team in the KHL, SKA St. Petersburg. Undoubtedly, one last long run will do nothing but great things for the 23 year old, who is the same age current Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was when he made the transition to North America.
However, there is a bit of a logjam. With Henrik Lundqvist being, well, Henrik Lundqvist, and Alexandar Georgiev playing the way he has, there is still some mystery as to where Shestyorkin slots into the lineup. Before the KHL playoffs begin, let’s examine his season, his KHL career as a whole, and what his future with the Rangers looks like.
Shestyorkin in the KHL
Igor Shestyorkin has put up numbers in the KHL that are simply mind boggling. Since becoming the split starting goalie for SKA in 2016-17, Igor Shestyorkin has a 77-9-4 record with a 1.53 GAA and a .939 sv% with 23 shutouts. This season, he has gone 22-3-1 with a staggering 1.19 GAA, a .949 sv% and 8 shutouts. Twice in his KHL career he has carried a shutout streak of at least three games, and he has set the SKA record for fastest goalie to 20 wins…twice.
Obviously, the concern is that SKA’s dominance has helped Shestyorkin put up the inhuman stats that he has. That is true to an extent, however the defense that SKA has is not always great. Their focus is on puck possession and offense, but the team tends to give up a lot of net front chances and odd man rushes that Shestyorkin handles efficiently due to his remarkable athleticism.
Of course, to expect a direct translation of statistics into the NHL is unrealistic and unlikely, but all signs point to him being a solid starting goalie and the best bet for the Rangers to build around going forward. His several deep runs in the KHL playoffs has also granted him valuable experience that will assist him in the grind of the NHL. His European hockey career is much like Henrik Lundqvist’s, who played for one of the SHL’s most prestigious clubs, Frolunda.
There should be very little worry that Shestyorkin will not make the jump; he has explained in many interviews that he idolizes Henrik Lundqvist, and has been seen talking to and spending time with other Russian Rangers’ prospects, insinuating that he is very well connected to the situation and knows exactly what he wants to do. All signs point to him departing St. Petersburg for New York City over the summer.
Shestyorkin in North America
Now, the obvious first step for Shestyorkin would be to play in the AHL, for the Hartford Wolfpack as their starting goalie right away. Ideally, this would make the North American transition easier for the young Russian. However, there are two factors at play here. Will Igor Shestyorkin want to play for the Wolfpack, when he can play against better competition for more money in the KHL? And, will the Rangers want Shestyorkin to start working with Benoit Allaire right away?
It is entirely possible that both Igor and the Rangers will want him to join the NHL team straight away and that could mean a move involving Alexandar Georgiev is in the near future. Playing behind Henrik Lundqvist, and working with esteemed goalie coach Benoit Allaire would be unbelievably valuable for the Rangers potential future star.
With Shestyorkin being much more athletic and less composed in net than Henrik, Allaire may want to reel the young Russian kid in a little bit. His athleticism is his greatest trait, but Allaire has shown remarkable success working with Rangers goalies in helping them balance their play style in a way that gets the best out of their talents.
There is also a distinct possibility that the Rangers may come to an understanding with Shestyorkin that he will be bouncing around a bit in his first year. With Lundqvist aging, he may no longer play 60+ games, and Shestyorkin may not be ready to handle splitting the load just yet. Georgiev, in this case, would have a role on the team until Shestyorkin proves that he is the Rangers best option on a more consistent basis. As a mature young man who has played with some great Russian veteran mentors, dealing with this should not be problematic.
The Rangers will want to be very careful taking care of their best goaltending prospect since Henrik Lundqvist broke into the league in 2005. With the right strategy for his development, however, the Rangers may avoid having goaltending issues for just about another decade and beyond.