NHL Rumors: Igor Shesterkin Rejects Rangers' Historic 8-Year, $88 Million Contract Offer | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

According to ESPN's Kevin Weekes, New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin rejected an 11-year, $88 million contract offer from the team.

An average annual salary of $11 million would have made him the highest-paid goaltender of all time, surpassing the Montreal Canadiens' Carey Price.

Shesterkin is entering the final year of his contract and will make $5.7 million for the 2024-25 season.

The 28-year-old signed his final contract extension in 2021 and it became clear that he would receive a sizeable pay rise within months if he were given a new contract. He was the 2021–22 Vezina Trophy winner after leading the NHL in goals-against average (.935) and goals-against average (2.07).

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported on September 24 that the Rangers had told Shesterkin's representatives that they were willing to exceed Price's average salary of $10.5 million. Mollie Walker from the New York Post Back in June, it was reported that the veteran netminder may want up to $12 million, which is confirmed by Weekes' latest reports.

Shesterkin's asking price has raised larger questions about the value of goalies and whether committing so much of the cap to the position is a wise investment. He has never played more than 58 games in a season and could soon earn a salary that makes him one of the NHL's top five earners.

All in all, the idea that goalies don't play all 82 games belies how long they're actually on the ice.

If the Rangers were to let Shesterkin hit the open market, another suitor could easily be willing to offer him $12 million or more as long as he puts together another strong season. According to Bleacher Report, he is arguably the best goalkeeper right now Lyle Fitzsimmons took ninth place overall across all positions.

For a contending team like New York, Shesterkin would leave a huge gap in scoring if he were to play in the offseason.