Is a Henrik Lundqvist retirement in sight?

Henrik Lundqvist has been the face of the New York Rangers for the past 15 seasons, but at 38 years of age, we may be seeing the end of the beloved netminder’s storied career.

While watching the New York Rangers host the Dallas Stars last week, I was hit with an epiphany. After Lundqvist was pulled and found himself residing on the bench at the start of the third period, I realized that the deterioration of one of the greatest goaltenders many of us have ever seen is happening right before our very eyes.

This realization did not occur because Henrik had given up four goals on 15 shots, rather it was due to Lundqvist’s reaction on the bench when the MSG cameras focused in on him before the puck dropped on the final frame of an eventual 5-3 loss. Lundqvist looked flummoxed, shaking his head, almost as if he was wondering how he could have prevented those four pucks from getting past him.

It was not the first time anyone who has followed the Rangers had seen Hank pulled, but it was the first time, at least that I could remember, where it looked as if he had a doubt in his own ability, however small that sliver of doubt may have been.

The Henrik Lundqvist we all once knew and loved has slowly lost his step in the crease, and the era of the King dominating the playing time in goal has finally reached its end. Since the call up of Igor Shesterkin on January 6th, Lundqvist has seen minimal playing time, starting just three games in that span.

This season Lundqvist has a goals-against-average of 3.13 and a save percentage of .907, both of which would be career lows. His 25 games started this season would also be a career-low, falling short of the 43 games he started during the 2012-2013 season, a season that was shortened by a lockout.

The three goalie system that the Rangers have been forced to the institute has benefited none of the goaltenders, limiting playing time and practice reps for all three netminders. Shesterkin has been brilliant since his call-up, posting a 5-1 record to go along with a 2.34 goals-against and a .933 save percentage. Georgiev has also held his own, backstopping the Rangers to three wins in his last four starts.

After Sunday night’s 42-save performance by Shesterkin in a 4-1 win over the Kings, head coach David Quinn shared his thoughts on the goalie conundrum:

“The best guy is going to continue to play. Keeping people sharp is no longer a high priority of ours. It’s going to be winning hockey games, and the guy who plays well is going to keep playing.”

This comment from Quinn indicates that the Rangers will be transitioning to Shesterkin as their new number one, a move that makes the most sense considering Igor has won 101 of his last 126 appearances in all leagues. Despite the excitement that comes with this move, it also comes with the sad reality that Lundqvist will be relegated to a minimal appearance role as the third-string goaltender.

With the goaltender refusing to waive his no-movement clause, the Blueshirts find themselves in a tough spot when it comes to Lundqvist. It would rip out the hearts of so many seeing Lundqvist suit up in another uniform, and it’s obvious Hank wants to stay a Ranger.

If Lundqvist chooses retirement, he could be a career Ranger while also allowing New York to keep the promising goaltending duo of Shesterkin and Georgiev in place. Retirement could allow Lundqvist to supplant himself in a leadership role in the Rangers organization, coupling him with goalie coach Benoit Allaire as the mentors for Shesterkin and Georgiev.

Another decision the goaltender must make is whether or not he wants to leave $8.5 million on the table. That large sum of money could be the deciding factor in whether Lundqvist’s steps away from the game or continues to push forward. The decision is ultimately Lundqvist’s to make and he has earned that right through his years of carrying the weight of the organization on his back.

The goalie dilemma for the Rangers has run its course, and if Lundqvist is indeed the odd man out, retiring with one-year left on his deal may be the best option for all parties involved.