Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin potentially shooting for historic contract

No one quite knows where contract negotiations stand between the New York Rangers and Igor Shesterkin. But rumors are swirling.

Shesterkin is in the final year of his current contract and can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Reportedly, he is seeking to be the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history, which would mean surpassing Carey Price’s average annual value of $10.5 million. Shesterkin faced a whopping 524 shots in 16 playoff games last year, in which the Rangers were outshot in 13 of them. He posted a .926 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average,

Long story short — the Rangers need him. And they need to keep him for as long as possible.

Shesterkin and the Rangers have each been quiet so far about contract negotiations. Currently, Shesterkin is in New York and been taking part in informal practices before camp starts. It is rumored to believe that his camp is aiming for as high as $12 million a year.

With the expected cap rise and other recent numbers, does that $12 million come in as a bargain or cap killer for who many consider to be best goaltender in the NHL?

Other goaltenders in the league are getting paid similar numbers. Carey Price’s eight-year deal with Montreal carries an average annual value of $10.5 million for a total value of $84 million, while Andrei Vasilevskiy’s contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning has a cap hit of $9.5 million and a total value of $76 million. 

Coincidentally, Shesterkin’s teammate at the other end of the ice in the Rangers’ Eastern Conference Final loss, Sergei Bobrovsky, is another notable comparison. Bobrovsky is approaching the second-to-last season of a seven-year, $70 million deal with an AAV of $10 million. 

Clearly, the Rangers are no stranger to allocating a good portion of their funds to goaltending.

The current NHL salary cap is expected to be above $87 million next year and jump to the $92 million-$93 million range in two years. Meaning, if Shesterkin comes in at $12 million, that would represent roughly 13 percent of the cap and would diminish each year as it rises. 

So, the rumored $12 million for Shesterkin is in fact doable. Only time will tell on if it actually happens.