Shesterkin was forced to wait twice during the Q&A before choosing between goalies. First, there was the moment when Vasilevskiiy, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, and his close friend Sorokin were the options. The decision was made after careful consideration by the Lightning goalie.
The Rangers player then declared that choosing between Vasilevskiiy and Bobrovsky was “a tougher choice,” ultimately going with the latter.
The footage was shot before to an NHL player vs their KHL counterpart charity all-star game in Russia. Artemi Panarin, a forward for Rangers, stunned the spectators during the match with a stunning move that almost led to a goal on a breakaway.
Shesterkin will attempt to overtake Bobrovsky and claim his own Stanley Cup the following season, if the Rangers are still among the NHL’s best teams. In terms of pay, he’ll also want to close the gap with the Panthers goalie shortly.
Shesterkin is set to surpass Bobrovsky’s $10 million annual salary with his next contract. Shesterkin can now sign an extension at any point before he becomes an unrestricted free agency at the end of the current campaign. According to reports, his team is requesting 14% of the salary ceiling for 2025–2026; this translates to an AAV of $12.9 million.
Maybe you could start negotiating from there. However, it’s highly possible that with his next contract, Shesterkin will eclipse Carey Price ($10.5 million) as the highest AAV of any goalie in NHL history.