The Igor Shesterkin contract hasn’t had much drama associated with it, at least not yet. But it does appear that contract negotiations will stall by the season opener if no deal is reached. The Rangers and Shesterkin have had preliminary contract talks, with rumors of Shesterkin’s asking price to be around $12 million a season.

The pause on contract negotiations isn’t overly surprising, but it does appear to be a Shesterkin-camp led deadline. Chris Drury has signed a few midseason extensions, but has also let a few extend to the end of the season. Since Shesterkin is an unrestricted free agent, his expected contract will be the most expensive piece of business for next season, and will have a direct impact on the number the Rangers can give Alexis Lafreniere.

It’s not panic-worthy regarding the Shesterkin contract negotiations, but it’s understandable if some feel uncomfortable with letting the negotiations pause for the season. It’s equally fair to be uncomfortable with a $12 million cap hit, which would be 13% of a projected $92 million cap ceiling.

The Shesterkin contract will probably get done, but it does seem like it’s going to come down to the wire.

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