Rangers’ options to potentially replace goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin

In-house option

New York has limited options, but it could start with an internal investigation. Jonathan Quick is 38 years old and out of contract, so he probably can’t be counted on to be the true No. 1 pick. He hasn’t been a starting-caliber netminder since a resurgent 2021-22 campaign. Finally, I started more than halfway through. During his team’s game.

Dylan Garand, 22, is generally considered the team’s top goaltending prospect. He was an elite Western Hockey League goaltender and compiled a 28-10-3 record with a .921 save percentage in his final season. However, since signing with New York, his results with the Hartford Wolf Pack have been mixed. His regular season records include a pedestrian .896 save percentage and a 33-33-9 record. His playoff record is better (10 wins, 7 losses, .922 save percentage).

Elsewhere on the farm, New York invested late-round picks in two 6-foot-8 goalies. Talyn Boyko is a prospect who is playing well in the ECHL. His Mountain counterpart, Swede Hugo Ollas, is a former Merrimack College goalie who has struggled in the ECHL (.878 save percentage).

free contract

Shesterkin is a gem on the free agent market. If it goes to the public markets. He could potentially earn more than double his current salary of $5,666,667.

For example, there are some interesting names like Jake Allen (New Jersey), Frederik Andersen (Carolina), and Ilya Samsonov (Vegas), but they are not priced anywhere near Shesterkin. But that’s also because there aren’t currently any potential free agents like Shesterkin. No one in this market has the pedigree of regular season success, including a Vezina Trophy, an All-Star selection, a Hart Trophy finalist selection and another top-five Vezina finish.

None of these players had postseason success. Shesterkin was New York’s best player en route to five playoff series wins in three seasons, posting a .928 save percentage and .750 quality start percentage. According to Hockey Reference: (.530 is considered league average).

transaction

There are options, including former prospects, who could find a new home depending on how the rest of this season plays out.

Devon Levi is struggling again in Buffalo and is not even a starter.

Spencer Knight is another former first-round pick who has struggled both on and off the ice. Florida gave Knight a three-year extension in anticipation of him taking the starting net job from Sergei Bobrovsky, but that never materialized.

Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson has become the subject of trade rumors. He’s off to a tremendous start and still has one year left on his deal after this one, but Minnesota may be hesitant to trade him and turn the net over to rising prospect Jesper Wallstedt after Wallstedt’s slow start to the season in the AHL.

Then there are reclamation projects that can be done at a discount, like John Gibson in Anaheim or Tristan Jarry in Pittsburgh. Assuming a deal can be reached where the original team gets their portion of the contract.

Ultimately, New York’s scouting department will have to evaluate these players, but none of these players’ cases are as compelling as simple ones. pay money to shesterkin.