Igor Sheshterkin makes hockey history as the New York Rangers sign him to a record breaking contract

The New York Rangers have been closing in on a long-term contract extension with Igor Shesterkin for quite some time, despite reports over the summer that he denied a new deal with the team. On Thursday however, it was suggested by several insiders that a new deal could be on the way, with top Insider Kevin Weekes even hinting that the next deal could carry an $11.5 million cap hit.

After a long wait, it has now been announced that the team has locked down Shesterkin to an x-year deal worth $x million per season, officially making him the hhighest-paidgoaltender in NHL history, surpassing the $10.5 million AAV deal signed by Montreal's Carey Price.

Shesterkin is currently in his sixth season at the NHL level, playing in 222 games over that time, carrying a .922 save percentage and a 2.42 GAA, making him in the eyes of many, one of, if not the best goaltender in the entire league. After making two Eastern Conference Finals in the last three years, the Rangers believe Shesterkin is the player to lead them back to the promised lands, and with long-term deals already signed by Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad, their core is now locked in for the future.

The salary cap is reportedly set to increase by $4 million or more next season, and as it continues to rise over the years so will contracts, as a whole, and given his play over his career thus far, there's no one more deserving of making this type of NHL history in net.