Thursday, October 15, 2026

Igor Shesterkin Continues to Easily Justify Rangers Extension

  • New York signed him to a four-year, $22.7M contract before the season.
  • Shesterkin led the NHL regular season in save percentage (.935) and GAA (2.07).
Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

After a regular season in which he was arguably the NHL’s best goaltender, Igor Shesterkin hasn’t disappointed in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Rangers’ primary starter.

After making 79 saves in the epic Game 1 — the second-most in postseason history — Shesterkin followed up with 39 during the Rangers’ 5-2 Game 2 win over the Penguins. The 118 combined saves are tied for second-most in the first two games of a series since the NHL began tracking the stat (1955-56).

The 26-year-old is proving to be well worth the four-year, $22.7 million extension he signed before the season.

  • Shesterkin’s $5.7M cap hit for 2021-22 ranks just 12th among all NHL goalies.
  • He led the league in save percentage (.935) and goals against average (2.07) in the regular season.
  • Through two playoff games, Shesterkin leads the NHL in goals saved above expected (5.9) — almost double the next-closest (3.0).

Shesterkin — who also finished fifth in Calder Trophy voting last season — will almost certainly win his first major trophy when the Vezina results are announced.

He could very well add another if he leads New York to a championship.

The Rangers have the seventh-best odds to win it all (+1600) — but Shesterkin has the best odds of anyone on the team to take home the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP (+2800).

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Marina Williams-Walter Cronkite Sports Network

ASU Hockey Home Opener Marred by Player Collapse Fallout

ASU’s hockey home opener featured more absences amid an ongoing investigation.
A drone view shows the Paramount water tower at Paramount studios in Hollywood and the Hollywood sign, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 24, 2026.

Newly Formed Skydance Is a Force in Sports Media

The large-scale deal creates a sports media colossus.
Apr 7, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) warms up before a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center.
First at FOS

NHL ‘Hot for Hockey’ Audio Shorts Campaign Is Done

The league says it was meant to be a one-week-only campaign.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/15/26 – Blake Griffin on Clippers Fine, Buck-Aikman Booth Tension, Elle Duncan’s ‘Toxic’ WNBA Warning

0:00

Featured Today

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?
Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
October 7, 2026

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.

Blake Griffin: Clippers Salary Cap Punishment ‘Probably Fits’

Griffin played eight seasons with the Clippers and made five All-Star games.
October 13, 2026

MLS Commissioner Don Garber Deflects on Messi Confrontation

Garber called Messi “the GOAT of all GOATs.”
October 14, 2026

Rafael Jodar Embroiled in Yet Another Ball Kid Controversy

Jodar told a ball boy to “give me the fucking towel.”
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
October 8, 2026

Caitlin Clark Wants Mitchell Back With Fever Despite Fan Comments

Mitchell said she has yet to make a decision on her future.
October 7, 2026

Jimmy Rollins: MLB Analytics Gurus Undervalue Team Chemistry

“I went to the college of MLB. Where’d you go?”
Aug 23, 2026; Westfield, Indiana, USA; Jon Rahm tees off on hole 18 during the final round of the LIV Golf Indianapolis golf tournament at The Club at Chatham Hills.
October 7, 2026

Jon Rahm Will Not Participate in LIV 2.0

Rahm was LIV’s biggest star besides Bryson DeChambeau.
October 7, 2026

Coco Gauff Says Racist Abuse Has Been ‘Draining’ at China Open

Gauff pulled out of the Wuhan Open after the match.