Goaltender Igor Shesterkin rejected an eight-year, $88-million offer from the New York Rangers, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reports.
The contract would've been the richest in NHL history for a netminder, surpassing Carey Price's eight-year, $84-million deal signed in 2017.
Shesterkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He reportedly won't negotiate a contract extension during the season.
The 28-year-old posted a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average while accumulating a 36-17-2 record last season. He finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting.
Shesterkin has consistently been among the league's elite. Since 2021, he leads the NHL in wins (109) and ranks second to Linus Ullmark with a .921 SV%. Shesterkin's best campaign came in 2022 when he won the Vezina and was a Hart Trophy finalist.
His playoff performance ranks among the best at the position in NHL history. Shesterkin's .928 SV% in 44 postseason games ranks third all time among netminders with at least 40 starts, behind Tim Thomas (.933 in 51 games) and Craig Anderson (.929 in 48).
Shesterkin's camp is reportedly looking to "reset the goalie market." Here are notable contracts signed by goaltenders since Price penned his record deal, according to PuckPedia:
| Goalie | Year | Term | Cap Hit | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Vasilevskiy | 2019 | 8 years | $9.5M | $76M |
| Sergei Bobrovsky | 2019 | 7 years | $10M | $70M |
| Jeremy Swayman | 2024 | 8 years | $8.25M | $66M |
| Ilya Sorokin | 2023 | 8 years | $8.25M | $66M |
| Connor Hellebuyck | 2023 | 7 years | $8.5M | $59.5M |
Price's $10.5-million cap hit accounted for 13.2% of the salary cap when it was signed. The same percentage applied to the projected $92-million cap for 2025-26 would be a $12.15-million cap hit.
The Rangers' first regular-season game is Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
