Igor Shesterkin Rejects New York Rangers Significant Offer

Kevin Weekes said the Rangers’ number one goalie rejected an eight-year extension worth $88 million. For those who can’t do the math, that is an annual average value of $11 million.

Full Press Hockey has documented that the New York Rangers and Igor Shesterkin want to work out a long-term deal. Shesterkin also intends to reset the goalie market regarding AAV and wants to be the highest-paid goalie in the NHL. Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who is on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) and probably will never play again, has the mark of $10.5 million. However, that mark was set a couple of years ago. As we have seen in the Jeremy Swayman situation with the Bruins, it is a new era for the goalie market. Swayman got his deal at $8.25 million to be paid as one of the top-tier goalies in the NHL. With Igor Shesterkin being the number one goalie in the NHL, according to NHL Network, why should he settle for anything less than $12 million a season? It could be more than that. Then the Rangers have some serious thinking to do with the salary cap.

As Pierre LeBrun of TSN stated in the early edition of Insider Trading, the two sides are still talking, but one thing is for sure: Shesterkin will be the highest-paid goalie when this negotiation is over.

Yeah, so having made a few calls on this on this day, Gino, what I can tell you is that while I can’t confirm the exact number that the Rangers offered, I certainly can confirm that New York put on the table the largest contract for a goal in NHL history, surpassing Carey Price at $10.5 million. But obviously that has not led to a signature. So that’s where this thing is right now, as we speak, and you know, it’s important to note as we speak for a couple of reasons. Number one, as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, there’s this unofficial deadline that Shesterkin may not want to negotiate during the season, so there’s a bit of pressure here to try and get it done before the Rangers season opener on Thursday night. Now we’ve seen in the past, you know that, there’s a sense of not wanting to talk during the year, but then the deal still gets done. So I want to be careful that we’re not making that deadline 100% but it is part of the conversation. The other thing I would add here is that the dialog continues like this, but it isn’t a situation where the Rangers made an offer. Shesterkin had said no, and that’s it. They’re not talking. They continue to go back and forth here. So does it get done before Thursday night? Does it get done later, or does it not get done at all? And he goes to market next July 1st all still to be determined, but either way, Gino, as we said earlier this month, when Igor Shesterkin does sign, whether it’s with the Rangers or elsewhere, he will absolutely be the highest paid goalie ever, and it’s going to start with an 11 or 12.

According to Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period and Sirius XM the Hotstove, Shesterkin is looking for an annual average value of $12 million on his next contract. Shesterkin is in the final year of a four-year, $22.67 million contract with an AAV of $5.67 million. The Ranger’s number one goalie was eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2024, and did not. He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025. It would make sense that he wants to be the highest-paid goalie and the highest-paid New York Ranger. Artemi Panarin makes $11 million on an AAV, so Shesterkin wants to be higher than him. In 208 career starts, he has a record of 135-59-17 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He also won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL during the 2021-22 season with a 36-13-4 record, a 2.07 goals against average, and a .935 save percentage.

In 44 playoff starts with a record of 23-20, a goals-against average of 2.41, and a .928 save percentage. Shesterkin brought the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals twice. As former New York Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto told Full Press Hockey, “I don’t know how you let a guy like that walk away.” That statement could not ring more true as we inch closer to the start of the New York Rangers’ regular season. General Manager Chris Drury has work to do to get Shesterkin signed, and he knows what he must do to pay Igor Shesterkin. Again, there is still time to make a deal. However, every day Igor Shesterkin is not signed, it becomes a talking point in one of the largest sports markets in the United States. It will be interesting to see how things play out between the two parties.