2019-20 Report Card: Igor Shesterkin

New York Rangers got their first taste of Igor Shesterkin and it was a good one

Today we start our series of New York Rangers report cards.  We’ll look back at last season and provide some expectations for the coming season. 

Igor Shesterkin : Grade A*

Ever since he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, expectations have been building for the young Russian.  He posted spectacular numbers in every league that he has played and any questions about his future with the Rangers were answered when he signed a two-year Entry Level Contract in May 2019.

His season

Shesterkin started the season in Hartford, giving him a chance to get accustomed to the smaller North American ice surfaces.  It didn’t take long.  He quickly established himself as one of the best netminders in the AHL and led the Wolf Pack to their best start in years.

How good was he?  He finished his time there with a 17-4-3 record, a 1.90 Goals Against Average (GAA) and .934 Save Percentage (Sv%).  Those stats are even better if you take out a two game stretch in December when Shesterkin allowed eight goals on 42 shots in a little over 65 minutes of work. Take out those two games and it drops his GAA to 1.64 and his Save Percentage increases to .942.   In 25 starts he allowed two or fewer goals 17 times with three shutouts.  Wow.

He was finally promoted to the NHL in January and immediately established himself as the top goalie on the team, relegating Henrik Lundqvist to the bench as the backup and third option in net.  Shesterkin didn’t disappoint.

He won 10 of his 12 starts, allowing only one or two goals in seven of the 12 games.  With the Rangers’ porous defense in front of him, he gave the team confidence with his stellar netminding.  He face 40 or more shots five times and won all five games.  In fact, he was the first goalie in NHL history to have three 40 save games in his first seven NHL starts.

One concern is the fact that in his brief Rangers career he has already suffered three injuries that resulted in him missing games.  On February 11 he sustained an ankle injury that kept him out of a couple games.  Then, on February 24 he fractured a rib in a car accident while driving with Pavel Buchnevich in Brooklyn.   He missed six starts and was shellacked in his first game back against the Devils.

Finally, in the Rangers’ single exhibition game before the Stanley Cup Qualifier, he pulled a groin muscle and that forced him out of the first two games of the series with Carolina.

So, the Rangers played 33 games after Shesterkin was promoted from Hartford.  He played in 13 of them.  It’s a concern.

The numbers

Games Played:  12
Games Started:  12
Record: 10-2-0
Shutouts:  0
Goals Against Average:  2.52   (11th best in the NHL among goalies who played 675+ minutes)
Save Percentage:  .932   (Best in the NHL among goalies who played 675+ minutes)

Postseason:  Shesterkin made one start in the Stanley Cup Qualifier, losing Game Three.  He allowed three goals in 58 minutes of play, making 27 saves.

Why the grade?

It’s pretty obvious why Shesterkin deserves an A if you base it on his statistical performance.  The only mitigating factor is the small sample size and that could also qualify him for an Incomplete grade.   So, he gets an A with an asterisk to note the brevity of his rookie season.

Expectations

All indications are that Igor Shesterkin will have a great “rookie” season.  He is still Calder Trophy eligible and going in to the 2020-21 season, he has to be considered one of the favorites for the award.  If he follows the script and plays like he did last season, he will quickly establish himself as one of the best young netminders in the league and contend for the Vezina Trophy as well.

The big question mark is injuries. Is Shesterkin fragile or was he just hit with a series of fluke injuries?  The fact that the NHL will play a shortened season will help him.  He has never played more than 48 games in one season so if he starts a majority of a 60 game season, he will end up playing about 35-40 games.

The big question for Shesterkin will be the defense playing in front of him.  There’s no doubt it is one of the best offensive defense sextets in the NHL, the question is how well they can play defense.  Replacing Marc Staal with Jack Johnson may not be an improvement and they still need a partner for Jacob Trouba.

Since Shesterkin has already inherited the mantle of being top goalie from Henrik Lundqvist, it looks like he will be inheriting Lundqvist’s burden of facing multiple high danger shot opportunities every game.   The Rangers and their fans have to hope that he is up to the task.

After a brief stay in the NHL, the expectations for Shesterkin are high.  The question is whether they are too high.   If he lives up to them, he will steal games for the Blueshirts. If not, it could be a tough rookie season.