The New York Rangers signed goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $11.5 million, the team announced Saturday.
It's the richest contract handed to a goalie in league history, eclipsing the eight-year deal Carey Price signed in 2018 that had a $10.5-million AAV.
Shesterkin was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He reportedly turned down an eight-year, $88-million offer from the Rangers in October and previously said he didn't want to negotiate a new deal during the season.
The signing comes after the Rangers traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
General manager Chris Drury has been looking to shake up his roster amid a poor run. The Rangers are 4-6-0 in their past 10 games and have fallen to the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after winning the Presidents' Trophy last season.
Shesterkin is among a long list of struggling Blueshirts. The netminder has posted an .899 save percentage over his past 11 games after registering a dominant .923 clip in the campaign's first month.
New York drafted Shesterkin in the fourth round in 2014. He broke into the NHL during the 2019-20 campaign and owns a career .920 save percentage in 231 games. He's helped the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three seasons.
