Regarding the Rangers, in Pittsburgh on Wednesday to open against the Penguins for the first time since 2009-10:
- It would be extremely disappointing to learn that the Rangers were responsible for leaking their purported eight-year, $88 million contract offer to Igor Shesterkin that the goaltender rejected.
Because any time management leaks information like that, it is designed to portray the player as unreasonable or greedy or both. By extension, information like this generally inflames the fan base that is always ready to turn on a marquee player because of his contract situation.
If the Rangers leaked their eight-year, $88 million proposal to keep Igor Shesterkin, the would be disappointing, The Post’s Larry Brooks writes.
If this indeed can be traced back to the hierarchy, what was the point? To indicate that the Rangers are being reasonable and that the Rangers are doing everything they can to seal the deal?
To create a cloud of controversy one day prior to the opener?
I’ve known Chris Drury, the GM, for going on 20 years and if there’s one quality he has never exhibited, it’s a CYA mentality.
At the same time, of course, it is nonsensical to believe this came from Shesterkin’s camp.
So I don’t know.
- The reported numbers have not been verified, but safe to say ESPN’s Kevin Weekes did not get it wrong. If they’re off, that’s likely due to the source’s agenda. But we’ll use them.
The offer was eminently reasonable, the offer anointing Shesterkin as the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender ever, surpassing the per-year record of $10.5M awarded to Carey Price in advance of 2018-19.
The Post has reported that Shesterkin is seeking $12M per. The Post has also reported that Shesterkin is seeking to become the highest-paid player on the team and that would exceed the $11,642,857 per year Artemi Panarin earns off the free agent contract he signed with the Blueshirts ahead of 2019-20.
The rejection was eminently reasonable, as well.
Rangers general manager Chris Drury
- Let’s review the steps that led to Panarin signing with the Blueshirts after his exit from Columbus.
GM Jeff Gorton had offered Panarin $77 million over seven years during the winger’s free agency following 2018-19. The Rangers thought it was enough to clinch the deal.
It wasn’t.
The team added a sum of $3.5M to the offer — another $500,000 per year that would have made Panarin the third-highest-paid player in the league behind Connor McDavid ($12.5M per) and Auston Matthews ($11,640,250). They thought they had a deal.
They didn’t.
Per contemporaneous sources, the offer was rejected because Panarin was seeking to surpass Matthews and become the NHL’s second-highest paid player.
Igor Shesterkin makes a save on Mathew Barzal during a Rangers’ preseason game against the Islanders in September.
The Rangers capitulated, I mean agreed. Panarin signed a seven-year, $81.5M contract worth an annual average value of $11,642,857.
Nobody since has minded in the least.
- The 2019-20 Rangers refused to lose the most impactful player on the market over first, $500,000 and then another $142,857 per?
Will the 2025-26 Blueshirts have lost their franchise goalie over $1M per?
I get it. You can play this game all the time. What’s another $500,000? What’s another million? Give it to the guy. Steve Cohen can do that with the Mets (even though that is surely not how he made his fortune) but the NHL has the hard cap that MLB does not.
Can we settle at eight years at $94M ($11.75M per) and call it a day?
- There’s an entire year ahead where narratives can be turned upside down, but Toronto would be the one team I’d keep an eye on if Shesterkin indeed hits the market next July 1 when Mitchell Marner’s $10.903M cap hit comes off the books when the winger becomes a free agent.
- Victor Mancini is the greatest surprise to crack a Rangers opening night roster since 2017-18, when 18-year-old Filip Chytil crashed the party with a spectacular training camp.
Mancini, the 21-year-old righty who has been impressive at both ends of the ice during camp, is the greatest surprise to crack the D corps since 19-year-old first-rounder Michael del Zotto earned a spot following John Tortorella’s first training camp as Blueshirts coach.
The days of Del-Zee.
Head coach Peter Laviolette said of the prospects on Day 1: Be great in the rookie games against the Flyers. Be noticed every day.
Mancini accomplished just that.
- And No. 90 is a prime example of what the organization will need in order to be able to accommodate Shesterkin, regardless whether it’s $11M, $11.75M or $12M per.
The organization will need their players on entry-level and (non-arbitration eligible) second contracts to pop. That’s Mancini, that’s Brennan Othmann, that’s Will Cuylle, maybe that’s Gabe Perreault.
