Things are happening in New York.
Earlier today, the Rangers traded their captain, Jacob Trouba, to Anaheim.
And there, we learn that goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin has signed an eight-year contract extension.
According to information from Elliotte Friedman, Shesterkin will receive an average of $11.5 million per year.
Another important case which is settled in New York after that of Trouba:
Ultimately, this will allow Igor Shesterkin to become one of the highest paid players in the National League.
It is also a bigger contract than that of Carey Price… Who had signed an eight-year agreement, worth $84 million ($10.5 million per season).
Shesterkin’s contract is the largest in history for an NHL goaltender!
Shesterkin was in the final year of his current contract and was set to become free next summer.
The Rangers had to do everything to ensure they kept him in town… And with the Trouba transaction, which freed up a lot of salary, Chris Drury had more flexibility to come to an agreement with his goaltender star.
That said, it’s sure that basically, it’s a lot of money for a goalkeeper.
But Shesterkin has proven that he is one of the best goalies in the NHL in recent years and even if he is not having a great season, the Rangers still decided to trust him.
Because at his best, Shesterkin is capable of winning matches single-handedly:
Prolongation
It’s nice to have Shesterkin in New York for a long time… But here, Chris Drury will have to make sure to surround him in the best possible way so as not to waste that money.
It has to work, actually, because Shesterkin will be difficult to trade (because of his salary) if he isn’t able to return to being the dominant goaltender we’ve seen in recent years.