Rangers star Igor Shesterkin hilariously shuts down question about new contract 

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jun 04, 2024 19:01 GMT

The New York Rangers' journey in the playoffs may have ended, but goaltender Igor Shesterkin continues to impress with his quickness and execution off the ice. After a hard-fought series against the Florida Panthers, Shesterkin's future with the Rangers is in the spotlight, particularly regarding his contract status.

During a post-playoff exit interview, a reporter dared to bring forth contract talks, asking Shesterkin about his desires for a long-term stay with the team. In a moment of quick thinking, Shesterkin humorously deflected the question.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak English," Shesterkin told the reporter.

Shesterkin faced a staggering 524 shots in 16 games. Yet, he maintained a remarkable .926 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average.

Rangers center Vincent Trocheck praised Shesterkin for his play.

"Shesty, I mean, he was our best player by a significant margin in the playoffs. If there was one guy I thought needed to hear that right after the loss, to kind of keep his spirits up, I just told him he was our best player and he deserved better," Trocheck said Tuesday,

As Shesterkin approaches unrestricted free agency next season, negotiations for his contract are crucial for the Rangers front office. Speculation suggests his camp is looking for a record-setting deal with an annual value of up to $12 million.

"Now that their season is over, the Rangers will soon begin formal contract discussions with Igor Shesterkin’s camp on an extension." Insider David Pagnotta said.

"[He] projects to be the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. Carey Price (still on the books) leads the list with a $10.5M AAV, followed by Sergei Bobrovsky ($10M AAV) and Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5M AAV)."

Igor Shesterkin's performance prompted Florida coach Paul Maurice to come up with words of praise

Igor Shesterkin's outstanding performance drew comparisons to legendary goaltenders like Jose Theodore. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice praised Shesterkin's performance after game 6.

“I haven’t seen a series by a goaltender like that since Jose Theodore in 2002,” Maurice said, “He won the Hart Trophy that year.”

Shesterkin played a big role in stopping the Panthers' offensive dominance in the series. The Rangers only once scored more than three goals in the six-game series: Game Three, when Rangers defeated the Panthers 5-4.

"We had him beat at least 4 times in Games 1 through 5 and 6 times in one game. I got nothing, he was brilliant in this series," Maurice said,

The Rangers will aim to sign Shesterkin long-term and aim for the Stanley Cup next season.