Igor Shesterkin is coming off another spectacular campaign between the pipes for Rangers, and he was just named the league’s best goaltender by the NHL Network.
Shesterkin missed time and battled a lower-body injury early, but eventually returned to form and was dominant for the Presidents’ Trophy winners down the stretch and in this year’s playoffs.
He was named to his third consecutive All-Star Game and finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting after recording 36 wins, four losses, a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 goals against average in 55 games.
Shesterkin was at his best when things mattered most, putting the Rangers completely on his back and leading them to seven straight wins to open the postseason, including a 54-save effort in a Game 2 double-overtime win over the Hurricanes.
The 28-year-old was also spectacular during the Eastern Conference Finals, despite his team being defeated by the Florida Panthers, as he stopped more than 30 shots in four of the six games to give them a fighting chance before being eliminated.
“I haven’t seen a series from a goalkeeper like that since José Teodoro in 2002, he was absolutely brilliant,” said the Florida coach Paulo Maurício he said afterwards.
Things will get interesting for the Rangers and Shesterkin next offseason, as he is expected to hit the open market for the first time in his career as an unrestricted free agent, and he is seeking a record deal for a goaltender.
He certainly deserves every penny he asks for, as he has been the main catalyst behind the Rangers’ deep postseason runs over the past few seasons.
The remainder of the top five on the NHL Network list is rounded out by Winnipeg’s Connor HellebuyckTampa Bay Andrei VasilevskiyBoston Jeremy Swaymanand Ilya Sorokin of Ilhéus.
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