The New York Rangers smashed the piggy bank and made Igor Shesterkin the highest-earning goaltender in NHL history. After extensive talks and negotiations, both sides finally reached an agreement and signed a contract befitting the best player in the Big Apple’s franchise.
The Rangers got their netminder for the present and future. Shesterkin was signed to an eight-year $92 million contract, with an average annual value of $11.5 million. After this huge investment, the Blueshirts hope their goalie will protect their crease as if his safe and bank account were in the net.
If Shesterkin has any trouble sleeping in the city that never sleeps, he should count the zeros on his contract rather than sheep. The Russian goalie might be the happiest man in NYC.
On the same weekend he welcomed the birth of his daughter, Shesterkin signed the biggest contract for a goalie in the league’s history. However, the Rangers’ goaltender admitted he was also grateful for another topic to finally quiet down.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers on April 13, 2021 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
“To be honest, it was really hard to take all this noise,” Shesterkin told NHL.com. “But everything happened right now, everything is done, and so I can be ready for a game and be focused. Sometimes it’s not hard [to focus] but sometimes it’s hard, so you never know. Sometimes it was pretty hard, especially after a bad game, so you just try to go to the next day.”
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Storylines aside, the Rangers must start racking up points
The New York Rangers put the two biggest stories of their 2023-24 season to rest on the same day. The team moved on from former captain Jacob Trouba, who was traded to the Anaheim Ducks and locked their goalie for the future within hours.
Although Trouba’s trade affected the locker room, it felt like the right move, as the 30-year-old had been declining, and his mistakes were becoming too costly to turn a blind eye to.
It seems the Rangers are not done making moves, though. Rumors of Ottawa’s captain Brady Tkachuk landing in Manhattan have emerged recently. However, New York should first focus on stacking up wins as their performance has been very underwhelming as of late.
The Rangers are 3-7-0 over their last 10 games and have fallen to fourth place in the Metro Division. New York is just two points ahead of last-place Columbus and six points behind third-place Carolina.
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Now that Shesterkin’s saga is a closed chapter, and Trouba is no longer with the team, Peter Laviolette and the Rangers have no scapegoats for their lackluster season. They must bounce back before hitting rock bottom.
