We’re happy to share another round of NHL rumours. The start of the regular season is getting closer and pre-season games are underway. Players and coaching staff are working tirelessly through training camp to get the existing roster, veterans and rookies alike, ready. General managers are also polishing off rosters and in this case, negotiating contract renewals. Today’s NHL rumours looks at how the Blueshirts are talking a new contract with Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
New York Rangers May Be Negotiating a New Igor Shesterkin Contract
Rumour: The Daily Faceoffs Frank Seravalli reports that the Rangers and Igor Shesterkin are discussing a new contract for him.
Hockey Insiders are reporting talks underway between the Rangers and star Russian netminder, 28-year-old Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin’s current contract will expire at the end of this coming 2024-25 season with him becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at age 29. He signed his current four-year contract on August 9, 2021, just before the season he won his Vezina Trophy as the top NHL goaltender.
“Contract talks are ongoing with #NYR and Igor Shesterkin. Don’t believe Rangers are too fazed by a reported ‘deadline’ to get a deal done before reg season begins. Safe to say: Shesterkin is #NYR priority, he has earned an AAV higher than Carey Price, but there are limits,” Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff reported on X this morning.
And if a deal is not reached in approximately two weeks, by the October 9 start of the Rangers regular season, discussions will stop for during the season, Mollie Walker of The New York Post reported. In June, The Post also reported that “a target for Shesterkin’s camp” was $12M per year. Shesty loves the Blueshirts and New York City, and there were “preliminary discussions” in the team’s early off-season. But since there is still no contract, it is possible they’re not entirely in agreement. Also, if he goes into next summer without a new contract, other teams could bid for him. But for now, as Seravalli said, the Rangers do not seem to be bothered by the deadline.
Ranked among 80 NHL goaltender contracts in the 2023-24 season, Shesty had the ninth-highest cap hit, at ~$5.67M. His target eight-figure price outstrips the 2023-24 cap hits of Montreal Canadiens legend Carey Price ($10.5M) and Florida Panthers star goalie and two-time Vezina winner Sergei “Bobby” Bobrovsky ($10M).
What Does Shesterkin Mean to the Team?
At age 28, Shesty has already made his mark on Rangers history, currently holding multiple team save percentage records. One is first place for highest SV% in a season for a goalie who played 25 games or more, with a .935 SV% in 2021-22. This was the season he won his Vezina Trophy. This outstrips Blueshirts legend Henrik Lundqvists .930 SV% in 2011-12, which was also the year Lundy won his Vezina. Shesterkin also holds the Rangers highest career save percentage for a goalie who’s played 100 games or more, at .921. This also barely outstrips Lundqvist who had a .918 career SV%.
It is no surprise that with his help, the Blueshirts made the Eastern Conference Final twice in the last three years, in 2022 and 2024. Shesterkin was of great importance in the Rangers last three playoff runs. He posted .929, .931, and .927 save percentages in the last three playoffs respectively. In the most recent 2024 run, he played and started 16 games, winning 10 of them. He also averaged only 2.34 goals-against per game.
What Does a New Shesterkin Contract Mean Financially for the Rangers?
An eight-figure cap hit for Shesty would be a big financial burden for the Blueshirts. Even more so when you consider that up-and-coming, 22-year-old left-winger Alexis Lafrenieres current contract, costing the team $2.325M per year, also expires (with him becoming a restricted free agent) in 2025. The exact same holds true for 24-year-old defenceman K’Andre Miller, whose current cap hit is $3.872M. What Shesty’s camp is looking for in his new contract would be almost double those two put together. The Rangers may have to make sacrifices to make the financial room for all three of these guys.
Main Photo: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
