Igor Shesterkin’s journey with Rangers likely to include richest goalie contract

Igor Shesterkin could be an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season. Now there’s a frightening thought to ponder for the New York Rangers.

Of course, this is not news to general manager Chris Drury. And it’s expected the Rangers are going to get to work soon on a contract extension for their all-world goalie, who likely added a few extra dollars to his next deal after his brilliant play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Shesterkin is eligible to sign a contract extension beginning July 1.

 

When asked about the possibility Tuesday at breakup day, Shesterkin offered no insight into his thinking, but did provide a good sound byte.

 

“Sorry, I don’t speak English,” was his answer.

 

Reports have indicated that he’ll likely ask for around $12 million a year, which surpasses Carey Price as the highest paid goaltender in the League. Price, who’s unable to play due to a knee issue, averages $10.5 million per season on his contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky averages $10 million per season on his seven-year deal.

So, how did the 118th overall pick from the 2014 NHL Draft jet into superstardom and potentially command this kind of salary?

Like Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers found Igor Shesterkin later in draft

This is the second massive goalie success story for the Rangers in the latter rounds of the NHL Draft. New York landed Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist with the 205th pick in the 2000 draft. His No. 30 already hangs in the rafters at Madison Square Garden.

 

The Rangers didn’t have to delve as deep to find Shesterkin in the fourth round 14 years later. But it’s not like he was a top-rated pick either.

After making his professional debut at just 16 years old for the KHL’s Spartak Moskva team, he quickly rose through the ranks of the league and signed with the juggernaut SKA St. Petersburg, a superteam that often feeds the NHL with elite Russian talent.

 

Among his teammates in St. Petersburg were future Rangers Pavel Buchnevich and Artemi Panarin.

 

After being drafted, Shesterkin remained in Russia, just as Lundqvist stayed in Sweden, to build his game and reputation.

 

In his final season in the KHL, 2018-19, Shesterkin had an absurd 1.11 goals-against average coupled with a terrific .953 save percentage in 28 games.

 

This is the same Shesterkin who was passed over for 13 other goaltenders in the 2014 draft.

 

Some, like Thatcher Demko, Elvis Merzlikins and Ilya Sorokin, are bonafide NHL goalies. Each was selected before Shesterkin.

 

But Mason McDonald (34th overall)? Zach Nagelvoort (111th overall)? Neither of them saw a lick of NHL ice time.

 

Interestingly, Shesterkin wasn’t even New York’s first goaltending choice.

 

The Rangers selected Brandon Halverson with the 59th overall pick. Halverson went on to face six total shots in the one game he played at the NHL level.

 

There were initial concerns about Shesterkin. Some argued that his 6-foot, 185-pound frame wasn’t large enough to fill the net. That didn’t seem to trouble him against the heavy Panthers in this year’s Eastern Conference Final.

 

His eye-popping numbers were enticing, but there was also uncertainty about his ability to convert his success to the North American competition.

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