With Sorokin signing the first of several long-term deals for goalies, he set the table for Swayman to match, Hellebuyck to go slightly over, and Shesterkin to set a market of his own.
With Sorokin signing the first of several long-term deals for goalies, he set the table for Swayman to match, Hellebuyck to go slightly over, and Shesterkin to set a market of his own.
This season marks the first year of an eight-year deal for New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin.
On July 1, 2023, Sorokin agreed to terms on an eight-year, $66 million contract carrying an average cap hit of $8.25 million annually.
Sorokin's deal is not a record deal for netminders, with Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky being the highest-paid active goaltender in the NHL at $10 million a year.
However, Sorokin's deal set the market for the next era of elite goaltenders, starting with Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who signed an eight-year, $68 million deal with an average cap hit of $8.5 million before the start of last season.
The market Sorokin set has only gotten more intense. Until this past weekend, two goalies had been holding out for long-term deals.
Staying in the Empire State, Igor Shesterkin remains in a holdout with the New York Rangers. After winning a Vezina Trophy and earning two All-Star nominations, he is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The two sides have been negotiating, but Shesterkin is not open to negotiating a deal when the regular season starts.
Things took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported that Shesterkin turned down an eight-year, $88 million deal that would've made him the highest-paid goaltender in the league:
MSG Networks' Steve Valiquette gave an interesting tip on negotiations, saying that Shesterkin's camp did not like Sorokin's deal when it was signed:
Given his Vezina Trophy and heroics to get the Rangers deep into the playoffs, the expectation is Shesterkin wants to go above Sorokin's average cap hit.
However, the Rangers haven't given into his asking price ahead of Wednesday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, leaving his status in limbo.
Shesterkin said that he would not negotiate an extension during the season.
Recent developments suggest that the situation is certainly resolvable.
Throughout the offseason, eyes have been on Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, who was in need of a restricted free-agent contract.
Swayman, like all the goalies in question, has been remarkable in his young career.
He split the Jennings Trophy with Linus Ullmark in the 2022-23 season, forming a strong tandem that was broken up this offseason. Now, Swayman will be the top netminder in Boston, but he and the Bruins struggled to get a deal done.
After months of negotiations and both sides airing frustration, Swayman and the Bruins agreed to an eight-year, $66 million deal, matching the contract Sorokin signed last summer.
With the saga resolved, it only reaffirms that Sorokin's deal will be the going rate for elite goaltending moving forward.
As a result, both Shesterkin and Swayman each faced different dilemmas.
Given Swayman's status as an RFA and Shesterkin entering a walk year, both sides had unique pressures to get deals done. Swayman will remain in Boston long-term, but Shesterkin and his ask to get something done before the season makes his future more convoluted.
With Sorokin signing the first of several long-term deals for goalies, he set the table for Swayman to match, Hellebuyck to go slightly over, and Shesterkin to set a market of his own.