Drury: Rangers will do 'everything we can' to sign Shesterkin long term
New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury affirmed the club will pull out all the stops to ensure star goaltender Igor Shesterkin remains in Manhattan for as long as possible.
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure he's here for a long time," Drury said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh.
Shesterkin is entering the final season of his current contract and has been eligible to sign an extension since July 1. Drury didn't offer an update on negotiations, but it's a safe bet Shesterkin will earn a substantial raise over the $5.66-million cap hit he's carried since 2021.
Shesterkin leads the NHL in wins (109) and save percentage (.921) and ranks second in goals saved above expected (82.38) since he signed his current deal. The 28-year-old won the Vezina Trophy and was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2022, and he owns a .928 clip in 44 career playoff contests.
Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million), Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million), and Connor Hellebuyck ($8.5 million) are the NHL's three highest-paid goalies. The Rangers are projected to have nearly $30 million in cap space prior to the 2025-26 season but only have 10 players signed, according to PuckPedia.
Another key Blueshirt eligible for a new deal is 2020 first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. Drury is hopeful to lock up the forward long term as well.
"In our eyes, he continues to get better and better," Drury said, per USA Today's Vince Z. Mercogliano. "I'm not going to get into negotiations, but he certainly is an exciting young piece for us and one that we hope, just like Igor, is here for a long time."