Igor Shesterkin turned down a Rangers offer that would’ve made him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported on Tuesday that the star Russian netminder rejected an eight-year, $88 million extension with an average annual value of $11 million.
That’s $500,000 more a year and $4 million more overall than the Canadiens’ Carey Price, who is currently the most expensive goaltender in the league with a $10.5 million cap hit.
“It’s work for my agent,” Shesterkin said of his contract negotiations at the start of training camp. “I just want to be focused on my game and on practice every day.”
The offer leak came one day before the Rangers are set to open the 2024-25 season in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.
Oct. 9 may signify the start of the Blueshirts season, but it also acted as a deadline before negotiations were viewed as an unwanted distraction.
Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury had expressed hopes that Shesterkin would be a Ranger for a long time during his preseason media availability, but the two sides were evidently unable to reach an agreement before opening night.
“I’m not going to get into any private discussions or negotiations with Igor or his agents publicly,” Drury said at the time. “But you all know what I think of Igor and what we all think of Igor around here and we certainly hope he’s here and a Ranger for a long time.”
Shesterkin is coming off a strong playoff performance in 2023-24, during which the 28-year-old posted a 10-6 record with a .927 save percentage and a 2.34 goals-against average.
Over the course of the regular season, Shesterkin’s .913 save percentage was good for eighth and his 2.58 GAA was good for 10th in the NHL.
All along, the expectation was for Shesterkin to become the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.
It will happen whether he’s wearing a Rangers jersey or another.
The longer Shesterkin remains a pending unrestricted free agent, however, the more precarious the situation becomes for the Rangers.
The Post has reported since June that $12 million per year is a target for Shesterkin’s camp.
With several other contracts due for key players next summer, the Rangers have to be careful and strategic with what percent of the cap they give to their No. 1 goalie.
“I love the organization,” Shesterkin said. “I love the team. I love the fans. So, of course, it would be great to stay here, but you never know what can happen.”
