Report: Igor Shesterkin to Become the NHL’s Highest Paid Goalie for the Rangers
Report: Another Very Skilled Top Star Loses Against The New York Rangers Because
While the New York Rangers have a lot of immediate issues to deal with, it appears they are already set to give goaltender Igor Shesterkin the highest salary in the NHL. In an appearance on “Insider Trading” on Tuesday, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said that the Rangers had informed Shesterkin’s team that they are prepared to pay more than the $10.5 million annual average value (AAV) that Carey Price was given as part of his deal. “Our understanding is that the Rangers have let Shesterkin’s camp know they are willing to pay him more than the $10.5 million that Carey Price made and is still on the books (for),” LeBrun stated. Shesterkin’s deal, at an average of $5.67 million annually over four years at $22.67 million, ends this summer. He may already sign an extension with New York, and in 2025 he will be available for unrestricted free agency.
LeBrun pointed out that Shesterkin’s group is aiming to “reset the goalie market,” going above and beyond the previous goalie signings of Juuse Saros, Ilya Sorokin, and Connor Hellebuyck, who all fell short of hitting the $10 million threshold on an AAV basis.
According to New York Post reporter Mollie Walker, Shesterkin may ask for up to $12 million annually. That amount would be more than the contracts of elite goalies such as Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million AAV) and Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million AAV). Shesterkin is putting himself in position to sign a record contract that would make him the most paid goalie in the league and the highest paid player in Rangers history. Even though there have been rumors that Shesterkin won’t entertain offers once the regular season starts on October 9, NHL insider Frank Seravalli made it clear on Tuesday that the Rangers are not “fazed” by the alleged “deadline.”
Both sides are motivated to have a contract extension done, and it’s a matter of when it will happen, not if, according to what Shesterkin and Rangers general manager Chris Drury have said at the opening of training camp. The Rangers fans will only be pleased to learn that the team is willing to spend whatever it takes to keep Shesterkin in New York for many years to come.
