Shesterkin’s Pressure to Lead Rangers | New York Rangers News

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It's July 23rd, this is New York Rangers News Today, AI-powered stories from Inside Your Team.
Igor Shesterkin is undeniably one of the NHL's top goalies, even snagging a Vezina trophy a few seasons back. But here's the kicker, despite his stellar play, the New York Rangers haven't seen the playoffs in a couple of years. He's been putting up solid numbers, often keeping the team in games, even when they're getting outplayed, like that one night where he stopped. 46 shots against the Minnesota Wild. Last season, he finished with a respectable goals against average and save percentage, which was his best in three years. This was also the first year of his massive eight-year contract, worth over $92 million, making him the highest paid goalie in NHL. History, that's a lot of zeros, and it puts a lot of pressure on him to be the anchor for a team that needs to make a serious push for the postseason.
Now, the Rangers front office has been making moves to help him out.
They brought in a forward who scored 37 goals last season and bolstered the defense with a couple of new guys. But it's not just about the guys in front of him. Shesterkin himself needs to step up in a few key areas. Specifically, he needs to improve his performance on those high danger scoring chances. His save percentage on those critical shots wasn't good enough to put him in the top tier of goalies. Plus, with the schedule expanding and the backup situation a bit uncertain, he'll likely need to play more games than he did last season aiming to hit or even surpass his career high. The team is counting on him to be that cornerstone, to elevate his game and lead them back into playoff contention. It's a big ask, especially with the kind of contract he's on, but that's the expectation when you're considered one of the best in the league.