Igor Shesterkin Salary: The New York Rangers re-signed Igor Shesterkin to a four-year, $22.6 million contract on Monday. Shesterkin, a restricted free agent, took over as the team’s starting goaltender last season after Henrik Lundqvist retired, with a 16-14-3 record. According to The Associated Press, a source with knowledge of the contract’s value said it was an undisclosed quantity of money.
Shesterkin is expected to earn $3.3 million this season, followed by $6.6 million in 2019, $7 million in 2022-23, and $6.6 million in 2023-24. The insider spoke anonymously to safeguard the team’s proprietary information. Shesterkin now earns an average annual salary of $5.65 million, surpassing Sergei Bobrovsky, who received $5.625 million for a two-year contract with Columbus in 2013. Shesterkin of Moscow was the fourth-round draught pick this year. He had a cumulative record of 26-16-3 in two seasons with the Rangers. Carter Hart was re-signed by the Philadelphia Flyers for a three-year, $11.9 million contract, while Ilya Samsonov was re-signed by the Washington Capitals for a one-year, $2 million deal on Monday.
The 22-year-old Hart struggled to keep his starting spot in his third season with the team. Hart had a 9-11-5 record with a 3.67 goals-against average in 27 games, including 25 starts. He missed the final 12 games due to a sprained left knee, surrendering four or more goals 13 times. This was a huge drop from his previous season when he had a 24-13-3 record and helped the Flyers finish fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Last season, the Flyers finished sixth in the East Division after a second-half collapse in which they won only 13 of their final 36 games. Hart will face competition for the Flyers’ starting spot coming season after acquiring former San Jose Sharks starter Martin Jones in free agency last month.
What exactly is the Threat Here?
The Blueshirts must go all-in now to keep Shesterkin or risk losing him in two years. They can offer him a one-year contract with a hefty raise to avoid arbitration and test his ability to avoid injury. The Shesterkin camp will undoubtedly demand a substantial payout in exchange for a long-term commitment from the organization. If he accepts a one-year contract, the Rangers can try to sign him to a long-term contract following the 2021-22 season, but he may reject it if he wants to test free agency. In terms of the Rangers, the question is whether they believe Shesterkin will be their long-term goalie.
Samsonov, 24, led the team to a 13-4-1 record with two shutouts with the help of Vitek Vanecek, although he lost all three postseason games. Samsonov was set to take over the starting job this year before the Capitals traded Vanecek back to the expansion of Seattle Kraken last month. The Anaheim Ducks re-signed both Max Comtois and Max Jones as restricted free agents. Comtois led the Ducks in scoring with 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games played. At the age of 22, Comtois led his team in scoring last season, making him the NHL’s second-youngest player behind Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk, who was only 21. Jones, who signed a three-year contract with Anaheim, has 28 points in 135 games, including 17 goals and 11 assists.
Is he really worth it?
Jordan Binnington’s contract extension from March might serve as a benchmark for the Rangers if they determine Shesterkin is the answer. He was a free agent following this season because his contract had ended. In 2013, he signed a six-year, $36 million contract with the Blues, with an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million. A No-Trade Clause was added to the agreement within the last three years. Binnington is comparable to goaltenders like John Gibson, Connor Hellebuyck, and Matt Murray in terms of NHL goalkeeper pay scales, ranking tenth in the league. If the Rangers can sign Shesterkin to a seven- or eight-year contract, they’ll be able to meet their goal of 2028 or 2029, when Shesterkin will be 32 or 33 years old.
My Heart is in Moscow, and I’m in love with it
Shesterkin began his road to the NHL with MHK Spartak in the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL) in 2012-13. He was chosen to play in the KHL after impressing scouts as a 16-year-old. After his debut, he returned to the MHL and won the league title. Prior to being taken in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, he spent five seasons in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, where he was one of the top goalies in the league. Shesterkin’s prominence grew during his time playing for Russia at the 2016 and 2017 World Championships when he won bronze medals both times.
He was also a member of the Russian Olympic team that won gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018. Shesterkin is one of the top goaltenders in the NHL, with a 26-16-3 record and a.921 save percentage in 47 games. Despite missing time due to injuries in 2020-21, he was voted Rookie of the Year fifth. The New York Rangers have had Henrik Lundqvist as their regular goalie for years, but they had to wait until he was 31 to sign a seven-year contract with him since he had been given short-term contracts earlier in his career. We all know how that turned out.
A three- or four-year bridge deal is also an option, but once that time period expires, there’s a chance he’ll become a UFA. A spike in his price shows that he is exactly what he claims to be. Consider Andrei Vasilevskiy, the best goalkeeper in the league. After his ELC expired in 2016, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed him to a three-year bridge contract worth $3.5 million. They signed him to a maximum eight-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $9.5 million for eight years. When that contract expired, he was an RFA. In the long run, skipping the bridge agreement and signing the future Vezina Trophy winner would have saved the team a lot of money.
Now is the time to start thinking about the Future
Shesterkin will have a chance to replace Lundqvist as the Rangers’ starting goaltender if he leaves in 2020. His goalkeeper partner, Alexandar Georgiev, is a strong opponent. Georgiev, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to maintain his starting spot due to inconsistency. Several stories have surfaced online saying that Georgiev has requested a transfer. If this new contract is any indication of the front office’s faith in Shesterkin, anyone who wants to play in New York will have to settle for a backup or first base spot.
Shesterkin has never failed to deliver for his teammates, no matter how big or little the platform. The Rangers are loaded with veterans like Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, as well as up-and-comers like Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere. When this team comes together and Shesterkin holds down the fort on defense, the New York Rangers might win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1994.
We haven’t factored in the Lightning’s salary cap woes at the moment, but the Rangers should have enough cap space to make a substantial goaltending upgrade. Because all of their young players are eligible for increases, getting Shesterkin under contract now could help them avoid future wage limit issues. For a squad that recently sacked its entire management team, goalkeeping stability would be beneficial.
