Rangers' Shesterkin on if he will sign extension: 'I don't speak English'

With starting goaltender Igor Shesterkin going into the final year of his contract next season, the New York Rangers could be in for an expensive off-season.

There was no debating Shesterkin's importance for the Rangers during their playoff run this season. He had just two losses through the first two rounds and finished with a 10-6 record, a 2.34 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

The Rangers were outshot in 13 of 16 playoff games, putting more on Shesterkin to be at his best. Safe to say, his performance didn't go unnoticed, even by his opponents.

“I haven’t seen a series by a goaltender like that since Jose Theodore in 2002,” Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said after his team eliminated the Rangers. “He won the Hart Trophy that year.” 

On July 1, the Rangers will get their first crack at trying to lock up their star goaltender to an extension. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner will be expecting an offer that pays him more than the $5.66 million per season he is currently making.

When asked about his contract status during the Rangers' season-ending media availability, Shesterkin didn't seem like he wanted to get into the topic.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak English," Shesterkin said.

With the salary cap rising to $87.7 million next season and another expected jump to the $92 million-$93 million range, New York should have the room to give Shesterkin the pay raise he deserves.

Fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky has the top cap hit among active goaltenders after signing a seven-year, $77-million deal with Florida, and Andrei Vasilevskiy is right behind him at $9.5 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carey Price technically owns the top cap hit $10.5 million, although he is dealing with career-ending injuries.

Those two contracts are the likely floor for any deal for Shesterkin, who will probably look to reset the market.