Perhaps losing to Sergei Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final this past spring colored his decision. But New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin recently chose Bobrovsky as the best netminder in the NHL.
In a video recently posted on social media, Shesterkin is asked in Russian by an off-camera reporter to choose who’s better between NHL goalies. It’s clear Shesterkin has high regard for Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Andrei Vasilevskiiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And, yes, for himself, too.
But in the end, the 28-year-old is asked to choose between himself and Bobrovsky, who just led the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup championship.
“Bobrovsky,” he said with a smile, though without hesitation.
Shesterkin and Bobrovsky were both outstanding in their goalie showdown during the conference final which the Panthers won in six games. In fact, it certainly can be argued that Shesterkin outperformed the 35-year-old because he had to, since the Panthers vastly outplayed the Rangers for much of the series.
Despite inconsistent play after he signed with the Panthers in the summer of 2019, Bobrovsky has had a stellar career. He’s won the Vezina Trophy as top NHL goalie twice and now has the Stanley Cup on his resume. In 700 NHL games, he has a 2.59 goals-against average and .915 save percentage for the Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Panthers.
Shesterkin has a smaller body of work, so far, but in 213 NHL games he’s got a 2.43 GAA and incredible .921 save percentage, and won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22. His save percentage in 44 Stanley Cup Playoff games is even better, .928.
Twice during the Q&A, Shesterkin had to pause before making a selection between goalies. The first is when the options were his good friend Sorokin and two-time Stanley Cup winner Vasilevskiiy. The Lightning goalie eventually got the nod after some thought.
Then, the Rangers star exclaimed “it’s a tougher choice” when having to pick between Vasilevskiiy and Bobrovsky, before selecting the latter.
The video was recorded before a charity all-star game in Russia that featured NHL players against their KHL counterparts. Rangers forward Artemi Panarin dazzled the attendees with a crazy move that nearly resulted in a goal on a breakaway during the game.
As for Shesterkin, he’ll try to catch Bobrovsky and win a Stanley Cup of his own next season, when the Rangers remain one of the top contenders in the NHL. He’ll also look to catch and pass the Panthers goalie soon in terms of salary.
Bobrovsky makes $10 million annually, but Shesterkin is expected to blow past that mark with his next contract. Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this coming season, Shesterkin is eligible now to sign an extension at any time. Reportedly, his camp is seeking 14 percent of the 2025-26 salary cap, so likely an AAV of $12.9 million.
Perhaps that’s a starting point to negotiate. But it’s very likely Shesterkin will surpass Carey Price ($10.5 million) for the highest AAV of any goalie in NHL history with his next deal.
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