What’s next for Rangers, Igor Shesterkin after big Jeremy Swayman contract with Bruins

Let’s start here: comparing Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman is not exactly apples to apples, as they say. But the New York Rangers goalie most definitely wasn’t going to finalize his contract extension until Swayman inked his new deal with the Boston Bruins.
Swayman ended his holdout Sunday, agreeing to an eight-year, $66 million contract, that’s worth an average annual value of $8.25 million per season.
Now, the attention pivots to Shesterkin. The Rangers star can be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and it’s reported he won’t negotiate a new deal once the season begins Wednesday, when the Blueshirts face off with the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
It made no sense for Shesterkin to sign his contract before Swayman got his done. Shesterkin is seeking to become the highest-paid goalie in NHL history, surpassing Carey Price’s $10.5 million AAV. That was never going to change no matter what Swayman was going to make — and the 26-year-old Bruins goalie was never about to get more than Shesterkin when all is said and done.
But Shesterkin’s camp is sure to point to the massive raise Swayman received with a less-accomplished resume. Shesterkin’s representatives are sure to point to Swayman equaling Ilya Sorokin’s contract (which kicks in this season) as a sign of where the goalie market is headed.
So, if Swayman, a less accomplished goalie, landed this huge deal — well, just the more proof that Shesterkin deserves that $12 million or so he’s reportedly seeking.
The Rangers have known all along where this is headed. At least now that Swayman is signed, they have four days to get a deal done with their stud goalie. The clock really has begun to tick now.
Earlier in camp, Shesterkin stated his love for the Rangers. But he stopped short of saying that they are the only team he’d be happy playing for, leaving that free agency door open next offseason.
“I love the organization, I love the team, I love the fans,” Shesterkin told reporters. “So, of course, it would be great to stay here. But you never know what can happen.”
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Rangers, Igor Shesterkin aware of Jeremy Swayman contract comparables

Swayman made $3.475 million last season after a bitter arbitration battle with the Bruins. So his raise is for a bit less than $5 million per season.
Shesterkin makes $5.66 million annually on his current deal. Yes, it’s an absolute steal for the Rangers. A raise similar to the one Swayman received brings him roughly to Price’s AAV. But that better resume we referred to? Yeah, that comes into play here and easily could push him past that $12 million AAV annually.
Let’s compare Shesterkin and Swayman, who were statistically the best goalies in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Shesterkin is 29 and can be a UFA next summer. Swayman is three years younger and was an RFA with arbitration rights. Shesterkin has more leverage.
Shesterkin has been the unquestioned No. 1 goalie in New York for four seasons, playing 53+ games in each of the past three after the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. He’s won 36 or more games in each of the past three seasons and is 135-59-17 with a 2.43 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in his career. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2021-22 and has led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three seasons.
Swayman is a terrific goalie, too, arguably among the best in the League. But this will be his first season as the true No. 1 in Boston, though by the second half of 2023-24 Swayman had grabbed hold of the role. Still, he partnered with Linus Ullmark the previous three seasons, splitting starts with him and helping form the top goalie tandem in the NHL. The pair helped the Bruins win the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the League in 2022-23, when they also won the Presidents’ Trophy. But it was Ullmark, not Swayman, who played a bit more and won the Vezina that season.
This is not to knock Swayman, an outstanding young goalie. But you better believe Shesterkin’s side will point out how more advanced their client is than his Bruins counterpart.
All that said, Swayman’s signing Sunday is good for the Rangers and Shesterkin. It should provide a light at the end of the tunnel for negotiations. And it really wouldn’t be a surprise if there’s a Shesterkin long-term deal in place before the Rangers visit Sidney Crosby and Co. to open the season.
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Shesterkin will be between the pipes no matter what on Wednesday night. Coming off a 33-save showing against the Islanders in the preseason finale Friday, Shesterkin was sharp despite some ugly play by his teammates in a 5-2 loss.
Whether he’ll have the piece of mind that comes with a new massive contract extension remains the question.
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