The Colorado Avalanche must pursue this impending free-agent netminder
The Colorado Avalanche must look into the possibility of acquiring Igor Shesterkin in light of the club's precarious goaltending situation. Insiders report Shesterkin turning down a recent offer, potentially opening the door for another team to swoop in.
The Colorado Avalanche must pursue New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin, along with Andrei Vasilevsky, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Connor Hellebuyuck, is one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. He’s won the Vezina Trophy, has gotten Hart Trophy votes, and has led the Rangers to a Presidents’ Trophy.
But there’s one thing the Colorado Avalanche have that Igor Shesterkin does not: A Stanley Cup.
Let’s unpack this situation in light of recent events surrounding the impending free agent netminder.
The rationale behind the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of Igor Shesterkin
The Colorado Avalanche need a reliable, number-one netminder
Wednesday night’s blowout against the Vegas Golden Knights raised concerns about the Avs’ goaltending situation. Alexandar Georgiev looked shaky, while Justus Annunen was dreadful.
As such, it is worth asking: Do the Colorado Avalanche need to get a number-one netminder?
Justus Annunen figures to be the heir apparent to the crease in Colorado. But until he can run with the job, there’s no assurance that will be the case.
Moreover, Georgiev has looked off his game. Since last year, Georgiev seemed out of sorts at times. But this season, it appears that something has caught up to him. Perhaps he’s dealing with an injury no one knows about. No one can know for sure outside of the Avalanche’s training room.
It’s worth pointing out that one game into the season, it’s already too late to pursue another top-line goaltender. The Avs will have to manage with what they’ve got until at least the trade deadline, when, potentially, goalies may become available.
Perhaps then, if the Rangers haven’t signed Shesterkin, the Avs and Rangers could talk about a deal. Otherwise, the Avs will need to wait until the summer to figure out a potential deal.
Now, I will caution this: trading for Shesterkin could be quite onerous. The Rangers won’t part ways with Shesterkin so easily. Since the Rangers don’t have a goalie who can take over full-time, they’ll need to get something substantial. So, Annunen plus draft picks and roster players could move the needle.
But that’s a deal not really worth exploring. It’s better to wait until Shesterkin hits the free-agent market.
The price to sign Igor Shesterkin
All right, so here’s where things get truly interesting. In a recent interview, Eric Jackson of Sportico talked to ESPN insider Kevin Weekes. During the conversation, Jackson brought up the fact that Shesterkin turned down an eight-year $88 million offer from the Rangers.
The deal, with an $11 million AAV, would have made Shesterkin the highest-paid goalie in the NHL. The deal dwarfs what Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark recently signed for. According to Weekes, Shesterkin believes he’s worth much more; somewhere around the $12 million AAV mark or higher.
Weekes made an interesting point. He stated that Shesterkin is “trying to set the market for goaltenders.” That statement speaks volumes of where Shesterkin wants to be dollar-wise. Shesterkin just doesn’t want to get paid. He wants to raise the bar.
Based on those thoughts, the Avs would need to pony up around $11 to $12 million AAV, if not higher. Moreover, the deal would most likely be a seven-year deal, if Shesterkin signs as a free agent. If the Avs acquired him before hitting free agency, he could sign for an additional eighth year.
So, the question begs: Are the Colorado Avalanche willing to give Shesterkin that sort of deal over seven or eight years?
On the surface, the answer would be yes. Anytime would be willing to give one of the top three goalies in the league a substantial payday in order to shore up such a key position. But then again, paying $12 million-plus to a goaltender may be too rich for most teams’ blood.
But given what the Avs stand to gain from having Shesterkin on board, the club can’t pass up the opportunity to acquire Shesterkin even if the price is high. Despite potential cap constraints, there is a way to make the situation work for both sides.
Fitting Igor Shesterkin’s new deal under the cap
For argument’s sake, let’s assume that the Avs sign Shesterkin for $12 million AAV. That situation means the club needs to clear enough cap space to fit the new deal in. That may seem like an insurmountable challenge, but it’s not impossible.
First, let’s assume Gabe Landeskog remains on LTIR. That’s $7 million the Avs could use toward paying Shesterkin.
Second, let’s assume the club doesn’t re-sign Georgiev. That is another $3 million-plus. So, that’s a little over $10 million the Avs could use toward paying Shesterkin. But that still leaves the team short about $2 to $3 million to cover Shesterkin’s deal.
Third, let’s assume the cap ceiling goes up to $92 million as some reports suggest. In that case, the roughly $4 million increase in the cap ceiling allows the Avs to cover Shestekin’s new contract.
Now, there’s one last thing: Some may ask about Mikko Rantanen’s new contract. If the Avs pursue Shesterkin, would there be enough money to sign Rantanen as well?
That’s a tricky question. Ultimately, the situation would boil down to how much Rantanen wants, if the Avs are willing to pay him that, and if the Avs would rather keep Rantanen or pursue Shesterkin.
In my opinion, it’s possible to fit both players in with some cap voodoo. While not easy, it is plausible. But if it comes down to choosing one player over another, the Avs would need to be certain that Rantanen wants out of Colorado. However, there is no indication that this is the case.
Ultimately, pursuing Igor Shesterkin may be a pipe dream. But it’s one worth doing the due diligence on. It’s not every day that franchise goaltenders hit the market. So, the Avs must at least kick the tires to gauge the chance of bringing Sheskterkin into the fold.
Who knows, perhaps Shesterkin is looking to leave the Big Apple for a less hectic media environment.
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