The New York Rangers and star goaltender Igor Shesterkin are keeping things quiet, but the latest reports indicate that both sides are focused on securing a long-term, record-breaking extension for the goalie.
Making an appearance on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio, Pagnotta revealed that while talks have been quiet since the start of the offseason, the goal for both the Rangers and Shesterkin remains clear-a long-term deal that would keep him in tow for the rest of his career.
"I know they had discussions at the start of the offseason," Pagnotta said. "They want to work toward a long-term extension, which they do."
Shesterkin, who is entering the final year of his current four-year, $22.7 million contract, is looking to become the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL. With his $5.66 million cap hit from the previous deal, his next contract could soar above that of Carey Price's $10.5 million cap hit, potentially reaching $11 or $12 million annually.
Those figures were reported by Molly Walker of the New York Post on June 2, when she mentioned Shesterkin's camp "is aiming for as high as $12 million a year."
According to Pagnotta, much of the delay in negotiations could be attributed to Shesterkin's camp monitoring the market, especially the ongoing contract situation involving Boston's Jeremy Swayman.
"Shesterkin is waiting to see where that goes before they get too hard into a negotiation," Pagnotta said. "You've got to imagine that Shesterkin is going to be the highest-paid goaltender at the end of the day, once Swayman gets his deal."
Shesterkin's performance certainly justifies such a contract. The Russian netminder has started 208 games putting up an impressive 135-59-17 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He also won the Vezina Trophy in the 2022 season.
Career-wise, Shesterkin's playoff numbers are equally great, with a 23-20 postseason record and a .928 save percentage across 44 playoff starts.
