By Larry Rupp
The New York Rangers have missed the playoffs in each of the last four years, but look well on their way to securing a postseason berth with just over two months of 2021-22 regular season action left. It’s important to give credit where credit is due and that is to goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The Russian native has stepped up to the plate and is cementing his lead in the odds to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie.
Shesterkin has odds set at +130 to earn the honors, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. There is then a large gap before Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning checks in at +750. The rest of the top five is filled out by Juuse Saros of Nashville Predators (+1200), Jack Campbell of the Toronto Maple Leafs (+1200) and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers (+1500).
Igor Shesterkin this season (30 games):
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 16, 2022
🔹 23 wins (5th in NHL)
🔹 2.05 GAA (3rd)
🔹 .938 SV% (2nd)
🔹 3 shutouts (4th)
🔹 .793 QS% (1st)
IGOR 👏👏 IGOR 👏👏 IGOR pic.twitter.com/bnOTOHk2gf
It’s safe to say the Rangers would not be where they are at this point in the season without Shesterkin’s dazzling efforts in front of the net. The 26-year-old ranks first amongst goaltenders in statistical categories such as save percentage and goals against average. He is regularly shutting out opponents and making miraculous saves.
The biggest thing Shesterkin has going for him in this race is the fact that no one expected him to make this large a leap in what is only his third NHL season. New York was certainly hoping that Shesterkin would be able to fill the shoes of the great Henrik Lundqvist after he retired last August, but not to this degree. After all, Shesterkin only posted a record of 26-16-3 through his first two years and looked simply serviceable as a starting option.
Flash forward just one year later and the Rangers have only lost single-digit games with their star netminder playing this season. Shesterkin was a fourth-round pick back in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft following seven seasons spent in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During that span, he played in 117 games and posted a dominant 88-19-15 record. Shesterkin also racked up 27 shutouts on his way to grabbing the attention of the Rangers front office.
MSG absolutely loved Igor Shesterkin's return to the ice for the shootout. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/M6KC5wQf1M
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 16, 2022
To see Shesterkin keep playing as consistently as he has lately would be rather historic for the Rangers franchise. Overall, four goalies have taken home the Vezina Trophy in the organization’s 90-year history and only one has since the turn of the century (Lundqvist in 2012). Shesterkin’s run may be more impressive than the others given how poorly the defense he has in front of him plays. The Rangers rank as one of the worst teams in the NHL when it comes to expected goals against per 60 minutes.
It’d be premature to say that Shesterkin has this one locked up. However, it’s hard to deny how far ahead he is of the other options right now. His unrelenting motor and top-tier awareness skills allow him to be at the top of his game on any given night. This is Shesterkin’s race to lose.
Picture Credit: Wikimedia
