The Rangers should pay Shesterkin whatever he wants when 2024-25 ends

At the moment, this is the biggest piece of news circling the New York Rangers. And, it has nothing to do with this upcoming season, set to begin on October 9th. The big commotion is about goaltender Igor Shesterkin, and his expiring contract at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Some other notable names, like forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, plus defensemen K'Andre Miller and Ryan Lindgren, are also destined to be free agents when the upcoming season ends. There is only so much money available to retain these players, and most of those names above are ready for much bigger deals than their previous contracts.

Even with all that, the Rangers must handle the Shesterkin situation with the utmost urgency and properly. They cannot afford to drop the ball on this.

Pay the prince a king's ransom

The Rangers must pay the prince a king's ransom to keep him in New York. The difference between a Stanley Cup contender and a lottery team is solely with Shesterkin. He means that much to this organization.

Rumors have swirled that he will be the highest-paid goaltender next season, and rightfully so. Shesterkin has been doing a fantastic job of filling in the large shoes of Henrik Lundqvist. If memory serves, "King Henrik" also had to deal with a contract dilemma once upon a time.

He was excellent in 2023-24, with a 36-17-2 record in 55 starts. It was his third straight season of achieving at least 36 wins, and also the fifth-straight year he held a save percentage north of .910. The 28-year-old was a bit shaky for a small stretch last season, but quickly found stable footing and put together one of the best years of his career.

Shesterkin is worth every penny. You cannot find a replacement for what he brings on a nightly basis, and even though it is going to cost a good chunk of the salary cap, it is well worth it. The Rangers front office better bring a blank check to the table when the 2024-25 season closes, and be ready to give the goaltender of their past, present, and future whatever he wants.