Igor Shesterkin Reportedly Rejects Mega Contract From the New York Rangers
Image Credit: Brad Penner / USA TODAY
On October 8, it was confirmed by NHL Analyst Kevin Weekes that Igor Shesterkin reportedly turned down an eight-year, $11 million AAV contract from the New York Rangers.
As Weekes states in his tweet, this alleged contract would make Shesterkin the highest paid goaltender in NHL history. This breaking news comes off the heels of a report stating that the Rangers and Shesterkin would stall all contract talks until next offseason; as his contract doesn’t officially end until the start of the 2025/26 season.
So where do both sides go from here?
Well, on the one hand, Rangers General Manager Chris Drury can “give in” on the amount of money that Shesterkin wants and pay him over the $11 million AAV ($88 million total) mark. This would, of course, deplete New York’s remaining cap space and would make it virtually impossible to sign impactful players going forward.
On the other hand, Drury doesn’t have to budge on his offer, and Shesterkin has two options. He can either accept this deal, or he can go seek that money somewhere else; whether that means testing out free agency next offseason or being traded at the deadline. If it’s up to Drury - and it is - his most likely scenario is trading Shesterkin if he wants an exorbitant amount of money. That way the Rangers can clear cap space, while also getting good players and/or draft picks in return.
Image Credit: Getty Images
It is believed that Shesterkin wants to make more than Artemi Panarin’s contract ($11.6 million AAV), which is currently the highest on the Rangers roster. It makes sense considering that Shesterkin is arguably more important than Panarin to this Rangers team, but it is completely up to New York’s front office.
Shesterkin is a generational goaltender; nobody is taking that away from him. However, sometimes the team has to be put ahead of one player; and that is the exact situation with the Rangers at the moment.
Nobody understands the complete story at this point in time, but new details will most likely surface within the coming weeks. There might also be a new contract coming Shesterkin’s way, but that’s also an uncertainty.