The New York Rangers are reportedly nearing a contract extension with goaltender Igor Shesterkin that would see him earn a yearly salary of around $6 million, according to multiple reports.
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After years of having arguably the best goaltender in the league in Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers were able to find a fantastic replacement for him in Shesterkin. The 25-year-old was taken in the fourth-round (118 overall) of the 2014 draft and went on to dominate in the KHL for a number of seasons before heading to North America for the 2019-20 season. Though he began that year in the AHL he quickly earned a call up to the Rangers and has remained with them ever since.
In 35 games this past season, Shesterkin posted a 2.62 goals against average (GAA) along with a .916 save percentage (SV%) and a 16-14-3 record. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, he has major potential and was considered to be the best prospect in the entire league before making his NHL debut last season. In 2018-19, his final season in the KHL, he posted a ridiculous 1.11 GAA and a .953 SV% in 28 games with SKA St. Petersburg.
Though he has played in just 47 career NHL games, Shesterkin has proven he is a very capable NHL netminder with a 2.59 GAA along with a .921 SV%. He is a big part of the puzzle for a Rangers team who should be extremely competitive in the near future. With players like himself, Alexis Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox and many others, they are one of the brightest up and coming teams in the entire league. If Shesterkin is able to bring his best for the 2021-22 season, they should be in the running for a playoff spot.
While Shesterkin’s future with the Rangers seems very clear, the same cannot be said for his goaltending partner in Alexandar Georgiev. Despite his agent denying the claims, there have been reports that Georgiev may want a change of scenery to get a chance at becoming a starting goalie, something that won’t happen in New York with Shesterkin playing ahead of him. It will be an interesting situation to monitor this offseason, as this duo may very well not be back together in 2021-22.
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