Former New York Rangers defenseman Michael Del Zotto spoke candidly about Igor Shesterkin’s contract negotiations with the club.
“I Don’t Know How You Let A Guy Like That Walk Away,” Del Zotto told Forever Blueshirts during Fanatics Fest.
And Del Zotto would know as he played in front of Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist for many years.
As of July 1st, Shesterkin was eligible to sign an extension; however, no agreement has been reached. He is in the final year of his current four-year deal, worth $22.667 million, and has a salary cap hit of $5.667 million.
Igor Shesterkin Wants To Be Highest Paid Goaltender
Shesterkin has made it clear he wants to be the highest-paid goalie in the league as the negotiations continue. That is why seeing a deal not get done is so surprising. And walking away from a franchise goalie does not make sense for a team ready to win now.
Shesterkin has been arguably the Rangers’ best player. Even though he started the season slowly, he finished strong.
In the regular season, he recorded 36-17-2 with a 2.58 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He shined in the playoffs; look what he did in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers, especially in Game 6.
New York was outshot 34-24 in Game 6 and 202-151 in the series against Florida. In addition, the Panthers had a 468-372 advantage in shot attempts in the series.
That is what a franchise goalie is supposed to do. Give his team a chance to win. In 16 playoff games, he had a 10-6 record with a 2.34 GAA and a. 927 save percentage.
These are the types of numbers that give Shesterkin the leverage he wants to be the highest-paid goaltender. Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens makes the most with a $10.5 million AAV, followed by Sergei Bobrovsky at $10 million AAV. After that, it is Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has an AAV of $9.5 million.
Contract negotiations are expected to begin around $10 million and could increase. According to reports, Shesterkin wants something in the $11-$12 million range.
Is that too rich for general manager Chris Drury, and would he consider just walking away from a franchise goalie like Shesterkin? There is a reason why NHL Network ranked him the number one goalie heading into the 2024-25 season.
The Rangers would like Shesterkin somewhere around Connor Hellebuyck‘s AAV of $8.5 million. However, if Shesterkin continues to put the Vezina Trophy caliber numbers, his price tag will only go up.
If he were to get to free agency, teams would be willing to meet his price tag. While every pending free agent is different, it does not make sense for the club to walk away from a franchise goalie, especially the caliber of Igor Shesterkin.
