Igor Shesterkin is a wall in goal for the New York Rangers. This season alone, the 28-year-old has 1 shutout and three wins in 4 starts. Shesterkin’s GAA is 1.97, and his save percentage is .935, punching way above his averages, which are 2.42 GAA and .921 SV%.
If you remove the 6 goals he gave up against the Utah Hockey Club, Igor Shesterkin has only given up 2 goals in three games. This is an impressive number for the New York Rangers when considering the other players on their roster: Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafrenière, and Will Cuylle, all having standout starts to the NHL season.
By turning down a reported $11.5 million-a-year contract that would last eight years, Igor Shesterkin may have raised his stock considerably as he plays out the final year of his contract. For NHL Network’s Mike Rupp, it’s just too much money to spend on a player who misses a lot of games.
Mike Rupp on Igor Shesterkin
Mike Rupp, an analyst on NHL Network, was adamant about the New York Rangers not going for broke on Igor Shesterkin’s new contract: “(Igor Shesterkin) certainly is that good, but you can’t just give that type of money to a goaltender.
“(Igor Shesterkin) is playing 60 of the 82 games… so for 20 games, you’re going to have your most valuable asset not in the lineup… I don’t think goalies should be considered up in the same ballpark as the other players that are going to be available to play 82 games.”
"I'm not giving [Igor Shesterkin] over $11.5M." @Rupper17 knows Igor Shesterkin will be the highest paid goaltender in NHL history, but what should he be paid? @jasondemers5 | #NYR | #NHLNow
It’s a bold statement by Rupp considering that Igor Shesterkin could possibly be the best goaltender in all of the NHL and most certainly top 3. While the New York Rangers have firepower, Shesterkin has been key in many games, keeping his team competitive and serving as the best last line of defense.
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Shesterkin has been with the Rangers for four seasons, and in that time, he has become a sort of face of the franchise and a top player in all of the NHL. If he agrees to his new deal, he would earn in the range of $88 million across eight years.
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