It wasn’t so long ago when Henrik Lundqvist signed a record-setting seven-year, $59.5 million contract in 2013 to remain with the New York Rangers. This made him the highest paid goalie in NHL history at the time. Now Igor Shesterkin finds himself in a similar situation as he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason. Being in his shoes before, Lundqvist weighed in on Shesterkin’s current dilemma and what his thought process should be like at the moment. “As an athlete, you focus on the sports side of things, that’s it,” Lundqvist said via The New York Post’s Mollie Walker. [https://nypost.com/2024/09/29/sports/henrik-lundqvist-reflects-as-rangers-face-igor-shesterkin-contract-dilemma/] “It is a business, but you just need to set that aside and focus on what you need to do. That’s it. You let your team take care of whatever needs to be taken care of.” With or without the money in the picture, Lundqvist strongly believes that there will always be pressure on Shesterkin. “I think you set a standard for yourself,” Lundqvist said. [https://nypost.com/2024/09/29/sports/henrik-lundqvist-reflects-as-rangers-face-igor-shesterkin-contract-dilemma/] “You put a certain amount of pressure on yourself, so it doesn’t matter. You want to be up there and you put the money aside, it’s more about performance and accomplishing what you want to accomplish. That pressure you put on yourself, that’s what really matters.” These two legendary goalies have an awful lot in common given the expectation laid upon their shoulders and high status as the franchise goaltender’s of one of the most prestigious franchises in the NHL. There is a respect level that Lundqvist has for Shesterkin that not too many people may be aware of. Talking about Igor. "His ability to read the plays and be very efficient in the way he plays goaltender and the way he moves upright in his stance allows him to move pretty quickly on his feet,” Lundqvist said. [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10134364-henrik-lundqvist-talks-rangers-shesterkin-2024-25-nhl-season-more-in-br-interview] “I expect him to be one of the best goaltenders again. He's up there every year and challenging the top guys in the league with the way he plays and his ability to come up big when it matters." From one king to another, Lundqvist and Shesterkin share a bond that has been built through their difficult yet unique experiences with the Rangers.
