Igor Shesterkin’s promising NHL start captured plenty of attention during the winter months prior to the league’s suspension of play last March.
A quick study of his 12-game sampling – a 10-2 record, .932 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average – is impressive on its own. When you dig deeper, the circumstances surrounding his fast adaptation add an extra layer of shine.
Shesterkin entered a three-man tug of war and wrestled the starter’s net away from Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev. Mirroring Lundqvist’s 2005-06 rookie season rise, Shesterkin projected confidence, using his razor-sharp reflexes and nimble athleticism to stake an immediate claim as the Blueshirts’ franchise goaltender. The throne that once belonged to the Hall of Fame-bound Lundqvist was seized by the heir apparent.
A fractured rib sustained in a Feb. 23 car accident was the only interruption to his otherwise remarkable game-to-game consistency. Shesterkin missed six games and appeared somewhat rusty in a March 7 return against the New Jersey Devils, where he surrendered five goals on 23 shots in a 6-4 defeat. However, a 31-save, .939 save percentage performance three days later in 4-2 victory against the Dallas Stars was proof of his ability to quickly regain his best form.
Considering that Shesterkin was able to post such sparkling numbers while under tremendous pressure – 35.59 shots against per 60 minutes in five-on-five situations – expectations are high for a 2020-21 encore. Oddsmakers have placed the 24-year-old highly among Calder Trophy favorites.
Now that Lundqvist has joined the Washington Capitals and Georgiev is settled into understudy duty, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Shesterkin makes a serious run at the Vezina Trophy. Like Lundqvist before him, Shesterkin has the ability to thrive amid high shot totals on a nightly basis.
The youth-driven Rangers are a work in progress, particularly on the blue line.
Over the coming years, Shesterkin and a maturing defense will grow together.
Without the stabilizing offseason additions to transform a blue line that contributed to an Eastern Conference high 34 shots against per game, Shesterkin will have his work cut out for him by shouldering the goaltending workload.
The Rangers have the offensive firepower to be an exciting team, but all signs point to them being a helter-skelter bunch when defending their own zone. Perhaps, the addition of Jacques Martin to the coaching staff and forward strides from youngsters can produce better-than-expected results.
But if the dam breaks often, it will be up to Shesterkin to summon otherworldly saves. If he can replicate his 2019-20 pace over a full season while propelling the Rangers above expectations, he’ll certainly force his name into the Vezina Trophy conversation.
Follow Sean Hartnett on Twitter: @HartnettHockey
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