Western Conference team to be the one to sign Igor Shesterkin, if he makes it to free agency?
Photo credit: New York Post
With the New York Rangers and Igor Shesterkin's situation building into a troubling situation, there are lurkers in wait, who want to sign Igor.
Of those Western Conference teams who need solid goaltending, the Colorado Avalanche are one team, who could end up keeping tabs on Shesterkin.
The former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie is a UFA at the end of this season and is looking for a massive pay raise.
So much so, that he pushed aside a $11 Million AAV contract that would've made him the highest-paid goalie in the NHL.
Shesterkin's got some accolades to his name, a Vezina Trophy, and a President's Trophy but the Avalanche have a Stanley Cup.
Something both Shesterkin and the Rangers covet at this moment.
Avalanche Have No #1 Goalie
It was thought that Alexander Georgiev could be the Avalanche's starting goalie, once Darcy Kuemper left Colorado thanks to the Stanley Cup tax.
But he's had nothing but issues in net since his arrival and, prospect Justus Annunen, has proven to be dreadful in their usage against the Vegas Golden Knights and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Will the 24-year-old Annunen be able to fulfill the role of one of the top teams in the league? It seems doubtful with his performance as of late.
This is why GM Chris McFarland and the Avalanche could find a way to start making moves to acquire Shesterkin.
As of right now the Colorado Avalanche has $6.23 Million in salary cap space and would have to make more room to consider signing the soon-to-be-free agent.
This comes days after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said that the Rangers will pay Shesterkin and it's only a matter of time. «I believe it's going to work out,» Friedman said on 32 Thoughts. «I think the Rangers have made the choice that they're going to pay him and, to me, it just comes down to what the numbers going to be. Until I'm told otherwise, I expect them to work out. Work it out. I believe the Rangers have made their choice here.»
The Avalanche would have to let Georgiev walk and keep Landeskog on LTIR in order to make the cap space work, but they will still have to figure out how to sign Mikko Rantanen down the road.
Igor Shesterkin could be the team's new #1 goalie, but is the juice worth the squeeze if they can't keep superstars like Rantanen, or Landeskog in order to pay Shesty $12 Million AAV?
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