Igor Shesterkin Being Locked Into Long-Term Deal Is Huge Win for NY Rangers

The New York Rangers are in a great spot long-term with the contract Igor Shesterkin is on.

Apr 11, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) skates back on the ice during the second period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers did a lot of work on their roster this offseason, taking full advantage of the salary cap space they had available to them.

Weaponizing their space is something Chris Drury excelled at. It helped the team land Pavel Dorofeyev in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights and upgrade their defensemen depth chart by acquiring Marcus Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks.

The Rangers are going to have the opportunity to do that again next summer, with salary cap space projected to be near $35 million. And those advantageous positions are only going to continue popping up because of the contract that goalie Igor Shesterkin is signed to.

Seven years remain on his current contract, averaging $11.568 million per year. At the time that deal was signed, it was viewed as an exorbitant contract by some; committing that amount of money to a single player, especially a goalie, was surprising.

Igor Shesterkin's contract will be bargain for Rangers in near future

Apr 8, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Ryan McLeod (71) (not pictured) scores a goal past New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He is the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL by a wide margin. In terms of total salary, his $92 million dwarfs the next-highest contract held by Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning by $16 million. His AAV is $2 million more than the Lightning’s netminder.

That is a massive amount of money to be paying a goaltender, but long-term, New York is going to benefit from Shesterkin being under contract through 2032. With the cap on the rise, his AAV percentage of the salary cap is going to continue to shrink in the coming years while other players are going to start signing more lucrative contracts.

In two years, Shesterkin’s contract is going to dip below 10% of the salary cap if projections are accurate. Right now, the 2028-29 salary is expected to rise to $123 million. As long as revenue is continuing to funnel into the league, which should occur with the NHL strategically looking to grow in European markets, that AAV percentage is only going to continue dropping.

Rangers long-term investment in Igor Shesterkin will pay off

Dec 27, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) prepares for the start of the second period against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shesterkin’s contract is in a league of its own currently, but it will become the bar that other goalies look to meet and surpass in years to come. Vasilevskiy, who is under contract through 2027, is only 25 right now and will almost assuredly reset the goaltender market.

Up-and-comers such as Jakub Dobes of the Montreal Canadiens, Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild and Dan Vladar of the Philadelphia Flyers are all ranked inside the top 10 goalies in the NHL right now and will be seeking compensation that matches those lofty rankings in the near future. Shesterkin is No. 3.

As the salary cap rises, the Rangers are going to sit back and watch Shesterkin’s contract become more and more valuable with each passing year and extension signed by other goalies around the league.