The New York Rangers kicked off their season impressively, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0 on the road. However, the bigger news in Manhattan is that star goalie has turned down a substantial eight-year, $88 million contract offer that would have made him the highest-paid goalie in NHL history, as reported by ESPN’s Kevin Weekes on Tuesday.
Speculation has quickly arisen, with Larry Brooks from the New York Post suggesting a potential leak, and Elliotte Friedman from Sportsnet sharing insights on goalies decision. In his Wednesday column, Friedman noted that he seems to be seeking compensation that reflects his status as the Rangers’ top player.
“New York’s highest-paid player is the outstanding Artemi Panarin, whose cap hit exceeds $11.64 million,” Friedman noted. “his representatives, led by agent Rick Komarow, argue simply: Igor is your best player and should be paid accordingly. In theory, no one disagrees. In practice, however, there’s a challenge due to the position he plays.” Friedman suggests that his camp is aiming for a salary of approximately $12.58 million per year, aligning with Panarin’s percentage of the salary cap.
“The more conversations you have with teams and agents, the more you hear that ‘percentage of cap’ is a key factor,” Friedman explained. “No agent or player wants to agree to a deal that might seem small if projections hold true. Panarin is at 14.29 percent, and I suspect this is close to Shesterkin’s initial ask of $12.58 million.
” When asked about his contract situation following the season opener, Shesterkin deflected and focused on the team instead, according to Peter Baugh. “I don’t want to discuss my contract,” he told reporters. “If you’d like, we can talk about the team. We played really well today. I’m open to discussing (Victor) Mancini, (Alexis Lafrenière’s) goal—anything you want.”
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