Goaltender Igor Shesterkin doesn't want to negotiate a contract extension with the New York Rangers once the 2024-25 regular season begins, sources told The Athletic's Peter Baugh and Arthur Staple.
Both Shesterkin and general manager Chris Drury have expressed interest in getting a deal done, but a signed contract isn't close at the moment, Baugh and Staple note.
"I love the team, I love the fans, so of course it will be great to stay here. But you never know what’s going to happen," Shesterkin said last week. The netminder added there's no negativity involved in his choice to wait until the offseason if a deal isn't struck over the next few weeks.
"It's work for my agent," Shesterkin said. "I just want to be focused on my game, on practice every day."
Drury told media at the start of Rangers training camp the club will do "everything we can" to sign the All-Star netminder long term.
Shesterkin became extension-eligible on July 1. He's in the last season of the four-year contract he signed in 2021, which carries an annual cap hit of $5.66 million. The Moscow native is in line for a significant raise, as he's since emerged as one of the league's top goaltenders.
Shesterkin leads the NHL in wins (109) and save percentage (.921) and ranks second in goals saved above expected (82.38) over the past three seasons and won the Vezina Trophy in 2022. He's also been instrumental in New York's two runs to the Eastern Conference Final over that span.
The Rangers are projected to have nearly $30 million in cap space ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, according to PuckPedia, but only have 10 players signed. Burgeoning forward Alexis Lafreniere is also due for a potentially big-ticket contract before next season.
New York is set to open its 2024-25 slate against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9th.
