The Case For Igor Shesterkin
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New York Rangers goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, is one of the most respected players in the National Hockey League, and for good reason. In the past four seasons, he has been maybe the best goalie that the league has seen in years. In fact, during that stretch he averaged a 0.924 save percentage and had 2.42 goals against average. With this, he also had 11 shutouts and 99 wins in only 153 games. After one of most impressive goalie seasons in NHL history, Shesterkin won a Vezina trophy in 2022; truly a phenomenal start to his career.
It’s hard to look at the stats and not get excited about Shesterkin. After a first round exit last season, where the goalie was one of the few bright spots, Rangers fans anticipated another great season from him this year. However, their star player is sitting at a 0.899 save percentage, with a 2.86 goals against average; the worst numbers he’s had in his entire career. 20 wins in 33 games played and 0 shutouts, is not cutting it for the Rangers fanbase at the moment.
Is this all really on Shesterkin though? Fans throughout the league have begun to notice that the Rangers defense is not as good of a unit as they once were. Positioning, redirections, and sloppy line changes have been very common among this core group. On the other end of the ice, the team is very inconsistent. Some nights they score at will, while they barely look to shoot the puck in others. Sloppy play in front of the net contributes to how a goalie can perform, and that is a real thing that is happening with the Rangers.
One thing that really doesn’t help Shesterkin’s case is that backup goalie, Jonathan Quick, has been on an absolute tear this season. With a 0.919 save percentage and 2.27 goals against average, it is clear to see that the backup is outperforming the starter. Not to mention, Quick has 2 shutouts to his name as well. After signing a one-year contract this offseason, fans didn’t expect this kind of performance out of the 38-year-old. Yet here he is, exceeding all expectations and bailing out the team on plenty of occasions.
Photo Credit: Frank Franklin II / AP Photo
In Shesterkin’s defense, the whole team plays better in front of Quick, which is statistically true. On average, the Rangers give up more high danger chances, odd man rushes, and fast break opportunities while Shesterkin is in net. The opponent also spends more time, and has more puck possession in the offensive zone while he is between the pipes. That’s the real issue here.
Shesterkin is having a down year regardless of how his team plays in front of him, that much is clear. He also lets in goals that he would’ve probably saved in previous seasons, but this is his first dissapointing season. Even last year, when fans mocked him on a regression from his Vezina season, he was top 10 among goalies in save percentage, goals against average, and goals saved above expected. He also set his career high in wins with 37. If that was a below average season, then one could only imagine what is said about this year.
According to advanced statistics, he does have problems with rebound control and making expected saves, however, he has also come up big for the team in many moments this season. There was even a five game stretch at the end of 2023, where he went 5-0-0, with a 0.945 save percentage and a 1.57 goals against average; very elite play.
Whether Rangers fans want to admit it or not, this is the franchise goalie. Head coach, Peter Laviolette, has already addressed the media and said that “Igor is our guy.” It should be interesting to see how games are split between the two goaltenders in the back part of the season, but Shesterkin needs games under his belt in order to get out of this funk. The only way to get ready for the playoffs, where Shesterkin will undoubtedly be your starter, is to play him as often as you can.
Two things can be true; the goalie needs to be better and so does the team. Once those two go hand in hand, Shesterkin will be back to the level that fans want him to be at. His ceiling is the best goalie in the league, but it is sink or swim time in New York. It’s Igor’s time.