The Rangers have officially signed All-Star goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year contract extension.
Shesterkin is said to have left some money on the table to stay in the Big Apple long-term, but the pact which was an AAV of $11.5 million still tops Carey Price's old mark, making him the highest-paid goaltender in league history.
It also contains a full no-move clause for the entirety of the deal.
With Shesterkin set to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career this summer, the two sides have been going back and forth in negotiations since late this offseason, and while there were some bumps along the way they were finally able to reach the desired outcome.
New York had been up close against the salary cap for some time, but shedding the remainder of captain Jacob Trouba's contract next season as part of Friday afternoon's trade with the Anaheim Ducks likely gave them the space they needed to help push this deal through to the finish line.
Shesterkin deserves every single penny, as he has undeniably been the heart and soul behind the Blueshirts' deep postseason runs over the past few seasons.
The 29-year-old has stepped in tremendously since taking over for Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist as he's put together three All-Star appearances, three 30-win campaigns, one Vezina Trophy, a 2.48 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage over his first six pro seasons.
And just like Lundqvist he's proven time and time again that he can take his game to another level when it matters the most, compiling 23 wins to go along with a 2.41 goals against average and .928 save percentage across 44 postseason appearances.