Igor Shesterkin has been one of the best New York Rangers for a long time. He's a Vezina-winning netminder and among the best in his position annually. This season, he was rewarded with a new contract carrying an $11.5 million cap hit for eight years, which seems to have upset a few fans. Some believe that the value of a goaltender should not be enough to justify such a price tag, but Igor Shesterkin deserves every penny of his contract.
New York's defensive issues are well-documented. His stats this season might not leap off the page, with just a .905 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against-average. However, his season gets more impressive if we look at his underlying numbers. These will consider that the Rangers defense tends to go on strike and leave him alone with some of the most dangerous shooters in the National Hockey League, and it'll compensate him for it.
According to Moneypuck, Shesterkin has a goal saved above expected (GSAx) of 21.3. That is the 4th best in the league, behind only Connor Hellebuyck, Logan Thompson, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. Among goaltenders that have played at least 40 games this season, Shesterkin's goals saved above expected per 60 (GSAx/60) is 5th best in the league, with Darcy Kuemper jumping ahead of him, but still, Igor is one of the best players in the NHL at his position.
He's worth every penny the Rangers pay him, mainly because he is often the only organization member who will attend a big game. Do you remember when Igor Shesterkin shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Rangers still needed the shootout to win it? That is a premier example of what Shesterkin does for this team. He will steal games this roster shouldn't win and drag them to the edge of the playoff race when they shouldn't be in it.