It appears as though the New York Rangers are willing to make Igor Shesterkin the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL.
"Our understanding is that the Rangers have let Shesterkin's camp know they are willing to pay him more than the $10.5 million that Carey Price made and is still on the books (for)," TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday's early edition of "Insider Trading."
Shesterkin has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer when his four-year deal, worth $5.67 million annually, expires.
The Montreal Canadiens signed Price to a monster eight-year, $84-million pact back in July 2017. It kicked in during the 2018-19 season when the cap ceiling was $79.5 million, so Price's deal accounted for 13.21% of the Habs' cap space at the time.
The salary cap for the 2024-25 campaign is $88 million, and it's expected to rise even more the following year.
Here are Price's stats when he put pen to paper compared to Shesterkin's career numbers now:
| Goalie | GP | Record (Reg.) | Record (Playoffs) | SV% | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 509 | 270-175-55 | 25-31 | .920 | 2.40 | 39 |
| Shesterkin | 213 | 135-59-17 | 23-20 | .921 | 2.43 | 15 |
Price had one Vezina Trophy - as well as one Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award - under his belt when he signed his deal. Shesterkin was named the league's best netminder back in 2022.
Shesterkin, 28, has also piloted the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the last three postseasons and has started all 43 of New York's playoff games since he emerged as the No. 1 in 2020-21.
LeBrun added that Shesterkin's camp is looking to "reset the goalie market." Three other starting netminders have inked new contracts in the last 14 months - Connor Hellebuyck, Ilya Sorokin, and Juuse Saros - and none of them came close to the $10-million mark.
| Goalie | Term | AAV | Age at signing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellebuyck | 7 years | $8.5M | 30 |
| Sorokin | 8 years | $8.25M | 28 |
| Saros | 8 years (starting in 2025-26) | $7.74M | 29 |
"Igor Shesterkin is looking to blast through all three of those contracts," LeBrun said.
Reigning Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky's $10-million deal is the only other goaltender contract with a cap hit in the double digits, while two-time champion Andrei Vasilevskiy's pact, which carries an average annual value of $9.5 million, represents the next closest.
Reports emerged Monday indicating that Shesterkin isn't interested in negotiating an extension when New York's regular season starts on Oct. 9.
Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said Thursday that this upcoming campaign could be the "last crack" for the team's current core.
