In collaboration with Upper Deck, The Hockey News will be covering the best active homegrown player for each NHL team.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin has stolen the hearts of fans in the Big Apple and is on pace to be one of the best players to ever represent the Blueshirts.
For over a decade, Henrik Lundqvist filled the role of starting goalie for the Rangers, so replacing the proclaimed ‘King’ would be no easy feat, but Shesterkin has been able to do just that.
The Rangers selected Shesterkin with the 118th pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Nobody knew it at the time, but New York’s fourth round pick ultimately became the team’s franchise player.
It took a longtime though before Rangers fans would truly know the name Shesterkin.
After getting drafted, Shesterkin played in the KHL for five seasons and really thrived during his time in Russia.
As a member of SKA St. Petersburg, Shesterkin was named an All-Star twice and won a Gagarin Cup Championship in 2017.
From 2019-2021, the Russian goaltender started a handful of games for the Rangers and showed flashes of his high potential, but it was just the start of his brilliance.
During the 2021-22 season, Shesterkin broke out and became a household name. He started 52 games while holding a 2.07 goals against average, .935 save percentage and 26-13-6 record.
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Shesterkin helped lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final that season and was even awarded the Vezina Trophy.
If people didn’t know who Shesterkin was before, they sure did after his historic season.
Since that year, it’s safe to say that Shesterkin took Lundqvist’s place as the new King of New York and the fans embraced their the superstar goalie with open arms.
This past season, Shesterkin started 55 games, recording a 2.58 goals against average, .913 save percentage and 36-17-2 record.
The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy and in the playoffs, Shesterkin really elevated his game.
Spearheaded by the 28-year-old’s dominant play, the Rangers were able to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three years and were two games away from clinching a berth to the Stanley Cup Final.
Now, Shesterkin is due for the contract extension with all signs pointing that he will become the highest paid goaltender in NHL history.