The New York Rangers are set to make goaltender Igor Shesterkin the highest-paid player at his position in NHL history. The Rangers and Shesterkin have agreed to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $11.5 million, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes and Emily Kaplan.
With that annual salary, Shesterkin will overtake left wing (and leading scorer) Artemi Panarin as the Rangers’ highest-paid player. Panarin makes $11.6 million per season as part of a seven-year, $81.5 million deal he agreed to in 2019.
Carey Price was previously the highest-paid goalie in league history, with an average annual salary of $10.5 million as part of his eight-year, $84 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens, signed in 2018.
Shesterkin, 28, is in his sixth season with the Rangers and the last year of a four-year contract that pays him $5.66 million per year. He and the team have been negotiating since the offseason, attempting to work out a new deal before Shesterkin became a free agent.
He was the team’s fourth-round selection (No. 118 overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft from SKA St. Petersburg in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
You’ve got to be kidding me with this save by Shesterkin.
The change of direction after sliding to his right. The stretch. Grabbing the puck right off the goal line.
Incredible pic.twitter.com/L0BBFfcTSd
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) December 28, 2022
This season, Shesterkin has an 8-9-1 record in 18 games with a 3.05 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. For his career, he’s compiled a 143-68-18 record with a 2.48 GAA and .920 save percentage.
Shesterkin had his best season during the 2021-22 campaign in which he finished with a 36-13-4 record and led the NHL with a 2.07 GAA and .935 save percentage. He was awarded the Vezina Trophy, given to the league’s best goaltender.
The Rangers are currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 13-10-1 record and 27 points. They hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference by percentage points over the Philadelphia Flyers and one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
New York just traded defenseman and team captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. Clearing Trouba’s $8 million salary off the payroll may have helped get the deal with Shesterkin done.