How Will Benoit Allaire’s Promotion Affect Rangers’ Goaltender Igor Shesterkin?
Benoit Allaire has been the New York Rangers' goaltending guru for a long time, but how will his step back from duties affect Igor Shesterkin?
Your New York Rangers are optimistic about the new season after a great campaign last year. With the sense of feeling high, there is one major question right now. After years of service to the Rangers, Benoit Allaire stepped back from the day-to-day goaltending coach duties. He's been the goaltending whisperer in the Big Apple for a long time. After a sluggish start to the season last year, can Igor Shesterkin continue his sensational exploits in the 2024-25 campaign?
We all remember the issues Igor had last year. At the all-star break in February, he had a .899 save percentage, poor for a goaltender of his lofty standards. Jonathan Quick was tasked with holding the fort while Igor sorted his issues. Eventually, he returned to being Igor Shesterkin, but there was significant concern around the netminder. With Allaire no longer involved in the day-to-day operations, can Igor Shesterkin continue at the standard he has set for himself?
Allaire's impact on the likes of Henrik Lundqvist, Igor Shesterkin, and Jonathan Quick are well known. Allaire has been the best goaltending mastermind of the NHL for the duration of his career. He's seen several of the best netminders of their generation come to him and turn into brick walls in the Rangers crease. How will it affect the ones who are here when he isn't the one helping them improve anymore?
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Specifically, how this will affect Igor Shesterkin is the question most people have in mind. It's unknown right now, and it's probably the one area where the Rangers don't have a solidified backup plan for what goes wrong. Igor showed at points last year that he is human and prone to having bad stretches. Jonathan Quick performed admirably last season, but relying on someone of his age to be the answer if things go wrong is a serious gamble.
Now, in all likelihood, we expect Igor to be around the same statistical heights he has set for himself since the 2021-22 season, but that does not make it a certainty by any stretch of the imagination. New York needs a goaltender capable of covering for the makeshift defense in front of him. After taking over from King Henrik, Igor has held that position for a long time, but goaltenders are fickle creatures. A minor change can derail everything for them.