And the news just keeps coming.
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that captain Jacob Trouba had been sent to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Urho Vaakanainen and a fourth-round draft pick. This is on top of the fact that the Rangers take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7:30 p.m. puck drop at Madison Square Garden. If all of this wasn't enough, according to sources goaltender Igor Shesterkin has finally agreed to a contract extension with the New York Rangers.
The agreement reached included an eight-year extension somewhere between $11.5-12 AAV.
As if today wasn’t crazy enough… sources told @KevinWeekes & me that Igor Shesterkin has agreed to a contract extension with the NYR.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) December 6, 2024
8 years, between $11.5-12 million AAV.
To be more specific, the Blueshirts and their franchise goaltender have reached agreement on an eight-year, $92 million contract extension that will kick in next season under which Shesterkin will earn a record annual average value of $11.5 million for an NHL goaltender.
It is worth noting that if the 2025-26 cap is set at the currently projected $92.4 million, Shesterkin’s contract will account for 12.44% of the total. Artemi Panarin, who remains the highest-paid player in franchise history at $11,642,857 per, accounted for 14.29% of the cap in his first year in New York.
Shesterkin, 28, was entering the final year of a four-year, $22.67 million contract and would have become an unrestricted free agent after this season if he and the Rangers didn't come to terms on a new deal.
This agreement was reached after the netminder previously turned down the Rangers' eight-year, $88 million offer to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.
The Rangers selected Shesterkin, a Moscow native, in the fourth round (No. 118) in the 2014 NHL Draft. Since then, he has become one of the most iconic goaltenders in the league. And while this new deal clearly made Shesterkin happy, one question remains.
For his stats so far during the 2024-25 campaign, he has tallied 18 games played, featuring eight wins and one shutout. In his games played, he boasts a .908% save percentage and a 3.06 goals against average.
Shesterkin hasn't had too good of a season — with backup goaltender Jonathan Quick sometimes stealing the show from the starter. While its certainly good for the Rangers that Shesterkin sticks around, is the record annual average value of $11.5 million worth it for him?