Walker Rangers' Igor Shesterkin Could Aim for Historic Contract After Dominant Playoff Run

[Pete]

4 minutes ago, Mistercosmic said:

Of course. But they could also have said: "No, we're just fine. This core and team will make it, we just need some minor changes." 

I'm talking about Tkachuk. It's not often players like him get traded. 

Edited June 4 by Pete

[Mistercosmic]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

I'm talking about Tkachuk. It's not often players like him get traded. 

 

I understood you meant Tkachuk. My point is: no one forced the Panthers to trade for him. They could have said: "Great season, future is bright. We'll try again with proven talent."

[Pete]

19 minutes ago, Mistercosmic said:

 

I understood you meant Tkachuk. My point is: no one forced the Panthers to trade for him. They could have said: "Great season, future is bright. We'll try again with proven talent."

Unfortunately it's not that simple. Florida made that trade firstly because it was obvious Tkachuk was the best player in the deal, and Florida was unsure they would be able to sign Hurberdeau and Weegar the following summer (ironically that's probably due to Bob's contract).

 

It also seems like he had a short list that had Florida on it among other non-tax destinations. 

 

Quote

One source close to the situation had previously said that Tkachuk’s list of preferred destinations at one point had the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars on it for months, though that may not be the official list he gave Calgary. The New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers were also among the other teams that expressed interest in the past.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3443644/2022/07/23/matthew-tkachuk-trade-faq?source=user-shared-article

 

So it's not like other teams including the Rangers and didn't want to go after a player like that, but a player like that has to be available and want to sign with your team and it doesn't seem like that was the case. 

 

So I know it's popular right now to just shit all over the Rangers players on their management and everything else Ranger related under the sun, but at some point realistic scenarios need to be considered. 

 

Let's not act like Florida nutted up out of nowhere, a lot of factors went into it...least of which are "balls". 

Edited June 4 by Pete

[RangersIn7]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

Unfortunately it's not that simple. Florida made that trade firstly because it was obvious Tkachuk was the best player in the deal, and Florida was unsure they would be able to sign Hurberdeau and Weegar the following summer (ironically that's probably due to Bob's contract).

 

It also seems like he had a short list that had Florida on it among other non-tax destinations. 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3443644/2022/07/23/matthew-tkachuk-trade-faq?source=user-shared-article

 

So it's not like other teams including the Rangers and didn't want to go after a player like that, but a player like that has to be available and want to sign with your team and it doesn't seem like that was the case. 

 

So I know it's popular right now to just shit all over the Rangers players on their management and everything else Ranger related under the sun, but at some point realistic scenarios need to be considered. 

 

Let's not act like Florida nutted up out of nowhere, a lot of factors went into it...least of which are "balls". 

Let’s also recall that Huberdeau was coming off a 115 point season and was top-5 in Hart trophy voting, and was leading the league in scoring for a good chunk of the season.

And they gave up Weegar too, who is a very good player. 
 

It hasn’t gone well for Huberdeau… but they made the trade 2 years ago. Not yesterday.

 

That was a big price to pay for Tkachuk 

 

[Rangers1994]

13 hours ago, Ozzy said:

 

Markstrom has 2 years left on that deal and NMC's aren't an end-all-be-all.  They can be waived....especially to get the hell outta Calgary! 

 

 

He's NEVER gonna sign for $7 million AND more term than 3 years.  He's gonna go for 7...NO DOUBT!  ...He's gonna get upwards of $10-$11 million easily.  Especially after this playoff run.

 

 

....Keep going!  When you hit $11 million he'll start to listen.

 

 

I'm getting ready for the inevitable, my good man.  Igor is a fabulous player...probably one of the best to come down the pike since Hank.  But he ain't stayin for that much.  We're gonna have to let too much talent go to pay him.

I'd rather us keep guys that are differnce makers, where we won't need a 4x6 piece of plywood in front of the net every game.  Adin Hill won a Cup last year....as a matter of fact every team that's won a cup so far has done it without a guy named Igor.

So it's possible to win it.  The team needs the right chemistry and balance to do so.  We have to be careful as to where we spend our cap.  Drury knows what to do;  Whether it's to sign him or not, and for how much....Dru will make it so, and I trust him.

And how do you balance Shesterkin's contract, with Laf's, Trouba's, Krieder's, and Zebanejad's?

[Pete]

9 hours ago, Rangers1994 said:

And how do you balance Shesterkin's contract, with Laf's, Trouba's, Krieder's, and Zebanejad's?

What's your suggestion?

[Br4d]

Trade Kreider to some place Zibanejad will want to join him.

 

Probably have to do this now because if Zib steps down again offensively he will be untradeable except with retention and a pick going alongside him.

[Ozzy]

16 hours ago, Rangers1994 said:

And how do you balance Shesterkin's contract, with Laf's, Trouba's, Krieder's, and Zebanejad's?

 

We don't!...That's my point.  Igor is most likely going to be "Buch'd"

[RichieNextel305]

I just don’t see Drury dealing Shesterkin.

 

Igor wants to win. I hope there’s a middle ground to be met where he gets paid like the elite goaltender he is, but not cross the threshold of insane. If we can get him for 7-years at $9M AAV, I’d be ecstatic.

 

Truth be told, no one knows where this ones going. But I have a hard time thinking they let this slide into the season. I think we find common ground at some point this summer. And if I were Drury, the sooner the better. The cut still cuts deep, the wounds still hurt from losing. Try and see if he’s willing to work with you to give you the leeway the build a Cup winner around him.

[RJWantsTheCup]

Isn't Shesterkin like 28?  Not sure I would wanna go more than 4 or 5 years and it has to be under 9M a season.

[Scott]

 

[Pete]

37 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

I just don’t see Drury dealing Shesterkin.

 

Igor wants to win. I hope there’s a middle ground to be met where he gets paid like the elite goaltender he is, but not cross the threshold of insane. If we can get him for 7-years at $9M AAV, I’d be ecstatic.

 

Truth be told, no one knows where this ones going. But I have a hard time thinking they let this slide into the season. I think we find common ground at some point this summer. And if I were Drury, the sooner the better. The cut still cuts deep, the wounds still hurt from losing. Try and see if he’s willing to work with you to give you the leeway the build a Cup winner around him.

Boyle said he has it on pretty good authority that Igor is looking for 12 million a year.

 

Do not pay that man 12 million a year, I don't care how good he is.

[jsm7302]

50 minutes ago, Pete said:

Boyle said he has it on pretty good authority that Igor is looking for 12 million a year.

 

Do not pay that man 12 million a year, I don't care how good he is.

Or 10 mil. Just say no.

[Phil]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Boyle said he has it on pretty good authority that Igor is looking for 12 million a year.

 

Do not pay that man 12 million a year, I don't care how good he is.

 

I mean, if 12 is what he's "looking for," that's probably the ceiling in a negotiation where the Rangers counter lower and they meet in the middle. This feels like they'll land around 10.5/11.

[RangersIn7]

On 6/4/2024 at 1:30 PM, Pete said:

I'm talking about Tkachuk. It's not often players like him get traded. 

Players like him are rare to begin with.

 

We talk about players with snarl, and grit, and toughness, etc., but also with speed and skill and scoring ability…

 

How many of those guys are there in the league?

[RangersIn7]

5 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

I mean, if 12 is what he's "looking for," that's probably the ceiling in a negotiation where the Rangers counter lower and they meet in the middle. This feels like they'll land around 10.5/11.

10 is probably the highest they can go.

And that’s probably too high for a goalie. 

[MuddyInTheMiddle]

19 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

10 is probably the highest they can go.

And that’s probably too high for a goalie. 

 

I think that the term is the much bigger issue. 

 

Shesterkin at 28 ≠ Shesterkin at 34

 

They will still have 3 years on an albatross of a contract even if they do 10 million X 8 years. With the cap going up over the next few seasons; I would almost prefer 12 million X 5 or 6 years. You just can't give him elite money for the golden years of his career. 

[Rangers1994]

2 hours ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

Isn't Shesterkin like 28?  Not sure I would wanna go more than 4 or 5 years and it has to be under 9M a season.

4-5 years for -$7.5 million - $8.5 millions per year maximum would be ideal.

[Rangers1994]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

Boyle said he has it on pretty good authority that Igor is looking for 12 million a year.

 

Do not pay that man 12 million a year, I don't care how good he is.

 

Not worth it.  4-5 years at $8 million per year would be ideal.

[Phil]

7 minutes ago, Rangers1994 said:

4-5 years for -$7.5 million - $8.5 millions per year maximum would be ideal.

 

Completely improbable, bordering on impossible. They have no leverage to get here and his agent would be an idiot to allow his client to destroy the goalie market by letting this happen.

 

Bare minimum AAV for him is $8.25 million (Sorokin).

[Phil]

13 minutes ago, MuddyInTheMiddle said:

 

I think that the term is the much bigger issue. 

 

Shesterkin at 28 ≠ Shesterkin at 34

 

They will still have 3 years on an albatross of a contract even if they do 10 million X 8 years. With the cap going up over the next few seasons; I would almost prefer 12 million X 5 or 6 years. You just can't give him elite money for the golden years of his career. 

 

No contending team, let alone one in a one- or two-year window to win like this one (at least with this core) thinks like this. He gets shit for it because of who he used it to justify the signing (David Clarkson), but Dave Nonnis was dead on balls accurate when he said “I'm not worried about six or seven right now. I'm worried about one. And Year One, I know we're going to have a very good player."

 

Worrying about what your highest paid player may or may not be at the end of an eight year deal is not being able to see the forest through the trees.

[Pete]

5 minutes ago, Phil said:

Worrying about what your highest paid player may or may not be at the end of an eight year deal is not being able to see the forest through the trees.

I don't know if it's so much that as much as the GM knows he's not going to be around to see the end of the deal so he doesn't care. It's not about seeing the big picture of the team, It's about not caring about the mess the next guy is going to have to clean up. 

[Phil]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

I don't know if it's so much that as much as the GM knows he's not going to be around to see the end of the deal so he doesn't care. It's not about seeing the big picture of the team, It's about not caring about the mess the next guy is going to have to clean up. 

 

Oh, that's a factor, 100%. Said as much above just now. Rangers have a one- or two-year window to win with this group. Their primed. Worrying about year six, seven, eight, hell, even year four, is fucking irrelevant (and should be). They're flawed, but primed. There's no telling if these same players can get nearly as far when this veteran group dissolves.

[Rangers1994]

3 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Oh, that's a factor, 100%. Said as much above just now. Rangers have a one- or two-year window to win with this group. Their primed. Worrying about year six, seven, eight, hell, even year four, is fucking irrelevant (and should be). They're flawed, but primed. There's no telling if these same players can get nearly as far when this veteran group dissolves.

 

And it all starts with reupping Shesterkin and Laf before training camp.

[Pete]

6 minutes ago, Phil said:

 

Oh, that's a factor, 100%. Said as much above just now. Rangers have a one- or two-year window to win with this group. Their primed. Worrying about year six, seven, eight, hell, even year four, is fucking irrelevant (and should be). They're flawed, but primed. There's no telling if these same players can get nearly as far when this veteran group dissolves.

Part of me says you just ride it out next year and take another crack at it. If the team is good, then the best you can do is a sign in trade with your leverage being that you can offer an eighth year that he won't get just from going to a new team. 

 

If they suck next year, then trade him at the deadline because you're rebuilding anyway at that point. 

 

With all the other contracts that they can't get out of, I don't see how you can pay this guy 10 million and still field the competitive team.