New York Rangers, Igor Shesterkin Reportedly Agree To Record-Setting Extension. What’s Next?

It has been a big day for the New York Rangers. After trading former captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, they have now made another massive move.

The Rangers have agreed to terms with star goalie Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92-million contract extension, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and Kevin Weekes, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and other outlets. The team has yet to make an announcement.

Starting next season, he’s expected to carry an $11.5-million cap hit.

Shesterkin was eligible to become a UFA  this upcoming off-season. However, by finalizing this new extension, the Rangers will keep their franchise goalie around for several years to come.

Shesterkin’s new deal is now the most expensive ever signed by an NHL goalie. Carey Price’s eight-year, $84-million deal was previously the biggest goalie contract in NHL history. Shesterkin’s new extension will pay him $8 million more by the end of it.

Shesterkin, 28, has an 8-9-1 record, a .908 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average in 18 appearances this season with the Rangers. The 2014 fourth-round pick has hit a bit of a rough patch lately, losing each of his last five starts.

Last season, Shesterkin had a 36-17-2 record, a 2.58 GAA and a .913 SP. His career totals to date are 231 games, a 143-68-18 record, a 2.48 GAA, .920 SP and 16 shutouts.

Related: It’s Official: New York Rangers Trade Captain Jacob Trouba To Anaheim Ducks

While the Rangers have checked a massive item off their to-do list by extending Shesterkin, they might still not be done making moves after that and forcing their captain to leave them. But what could they do next?

Let’s discuss three possible paths the Rangers could go down.

Option No. 1: Target A New Defenseman

While trading Trouba and his entire $8-million cap hit has its clear benefits, the Rangers have also created a hole in their blueline.

Right now, their six defensemen are Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, Zachary Jones and Victor Mancini.

Because of this, they could look to add another defenseman before the NHL trade deadline passes on March 7.

The Montreal Canadiens’ David Savard, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Marcus Pettersson, San Jose Sharks’ Cody Ceci, Columbus Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov and Philadelphia Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen are a few notable defensemen who have created chatter in the rumor mill this season. Adding any of these five would give the Rangers a nice boost on a cheaper cap hit than their now-former captain’s contract.

After trading Trouba, the Rangers would be wise to add an experienced defender to replace him. Even acquiring a cheaper depth defenseman could be worthwhile.

Option No. 2: Sell Another Player For More Cap Space

The Rangers freed up a lot of cap space by trading Trouba, last season’s winner of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. However, with the Blueshirts willing to shake up their roster, even if it means continuing to threaten to put players on waivers to make a move, trading another player certainly should not be ruled out.

Freeing up more cap space would allow the Rangers to reallocate money and bring in a big-name player potentially.

Option No. 3: Simply Stand Pat

While plenty of speculation surrounds the Rangers, they could also decide to simply stand pat. Trading away their captain was a franchise-changing move, so that could be enough of a wake-up call for them to get things back on track.

Although the Rangers have struggled lately, they still have plenty of talent on their roster. If their stars heat back up and they start playing like they did at the beginning of the season, it could lead them to be more conservative with their roster moving forward.

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