NHL Rumors: Are the New York Rangers and Igor Shesterkin Talking Contract Extension?

Dave Pagnotta joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Boomer Gordon and Jake Hahn. He was asked about the situation in New York with Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers and if they are discussing a contract extension.

Boomer Gordon: “Dave, I suggested earlier in the summer that it probably made sense for Swayman to wait because Igor Shesterkin, at some point, would get a contract and reset the market for all goaltenders. But I haven’t heard anything on that. Do we even know if the Rangers in Igor are talking right now?”

Dave Pagnotta: “I know they had discussions at the start of the offseason and very loose just obviously, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page, and we want to work towards a long-term extension, which they do.

But I honestly, Boom, I haven’t heard much in that respect. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a similar reverse uno card situation, where Igor and his camp are looking at Swayman to see what happens there with those dollars.

You’ve got to imagine that Shesterkin is going to be based on his performance, the highest-paid goaltender at the end of the day once Swayman gets his deal, and they use other comps like Vasilevskiy and so on. But I think he’s waiting to see where that where that goes, how that plays out before they get too hard into a negotiation, but maybe they are now.

Again, this could be another scenario where they’re doing a really good job and just keeping it quiet. And the Rangers love to do that with Drury and everybody there. But I didn’t get a sense that there was going to be a concern with respect to trying to get him locked into an extension once they get to that serious state. Obviously, the goal is to lock it in, and both sides want to make it happen.”