Early trade: Igor Shesterkin turns down offer to become highest-paid goalkeeper of all time

After Kevin Weekes reported that Igor Shesterkin turned down the highest contract for an NHL goaltender, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joins Gino Reda to share what he knows about the situation and why there may be some pressure to get one Deal to get done before season starts.

LeBrun also explains how the eventual deal for Shesterkin could have a domino effect on a goalie like Jake Oettinger.

Reda: So what's going on with Igor Shesterkin? It's an early insider conversation with Pierre LeBrun.

Pierre, Shesterkin is considered by many to be the No. 1 goalkeeper in the world, but he is currently not even in the top 10 in goalkeeper salaries. He needs a new contract or the Rangers could lose him to unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. Even though he hasn't played in over two years, Carey Price is still the highest-paid goaltender in the league at $10.5 million per year.

Now our pal Kevin Weekes reports that Shesterkin turned down a last-minute deal that would put him at No. 1 on this list at $11 million per season.

What do you hear? What is the delay? What's new, Pierre?

LeBrun: Yes, after making a few calls on this topic that day, Gino, I can tell you that while I can't confirm the exact number of the Rangers' offer, I can certainly confirm that New York is on the Table has set the largest contract for a goaltender in NHL history, surpassing Carey Price at $10.5 million. But obviously that didn't result in a signature, so this is where we're talking.

You know, it's important to note this for several reasons. First, as we discussed a few weeks ago, there is this unofficial deadline that Shesterkin may not want to negotiate during the season. So there's some pressure to get it done before the Rangers' season opener on Thursday night.

Well, we've seen in the past, Gino, that you feel like you don't want to talk during the year, but then the deal gets done anyway. So I want to be careful that we don't meet this deadline 100 percent. But it's part of the conversation.

What I would like to add here is that this dialogue continues. This isn't a situation where the Rangers made an offer, Shesterkin said no, and that's it, they're not talking. They continue to go back and forth here. Will it be ready on Thursday evening? Will it be done later? Or will it not be finished at all and will be released on July 1st. Everything still needs to be clarified.

But either way, Gino, as we said earlier this month, if Igor Shesterkin does sign, be it with the Rangers or elsewhere, he will certainly be the highest-paid goalie of all time and it will start with an 11 or a 12.

Reda: A new high, and the question is, how does this domino affect others? Cam Neely said Jeremy Swayman had $64 million reasons to sign with the Bruins. Incorrect. Swayman had $66 million for it.

What domino effect does that salary have on a guy like Jake Oettinger, Pierre?

LeBrun: Well, I think it has to be effective. I mean, Jake Oettinger, who is in the final year of his contract, will be a restricted free agent on July 1st. He is also 25 years old. He's in the exact same place in his career as Jeremy Swayman. They are both friends of Team USA. Both will likely play on Team USA for the Four Nations. So there's no doubt in my mind that Jake Oettinger would have stayed in close contact with Jeremy Swayman throughout the negotiation and paid close attention to making sure that number ended at $8.25 million per year.

What I can tell you is that the stars haven't really gotten involved in serious discussions with Oettinger yet. I think there was a feeling that we should just wait and see how the year turns out.

I think Jim Nill, the Stars' GM, will probably want to address this at some point during the season. But I have a feeling Jake Oettinger's camp, led by Agent Ben Hankinson, probably isn't in much of a rush. I think Jake Oettinger has a chance to have a great year here and make himself even more influential in the conversation. He has the Swayman deal in the bag now, so maybe that continues after the season.

The other thing to remember is that Dallas will also need to sign Wyatt Johnston at some point. He's an RFA at the end of the year, so there are some interesting contract negotiations ahead for the Stanley Cup-bound Dallas Stars.