Henrik Lundqvist gave the New York Rangers an amazing 15 years.
Every game played was played hard, and if there was any athlete deserving of a championship it’s Lundqvist.
The future of Lundqvist and the Rangers was uncertain.
There were talks of retirement, buyout, or him staying.
Yesterday, the Rangers had announced that the team has decided to buy out the contract on Henrik Lundqvist. It was hard news to take and I think every Rangers fan will continue to support Lundqvist on any team he lands. The Blueshirts had also announced a few days prior that they had traded defenseman Marc Staal to the Detroit Red Wings.
Photo: —These are both huge steps in this team moving on with the future. With this news, it is most likely that Igor Shesterkin will be the starting goaltender for New York.
Shesterkin is 24 years old and next season would be his first full season with the team.
Shesterkin was drafted in 2014 by the Rangers and played a total of 12 games last season. With the Hartford Wolfpack, Shesterkin played 25 games and held a 1.90 goals-against average, with a save percentage of .934%. When Shesterkin joined the Rangers, he had a .934 save percentage and 2.52 goals-against average.
Fans have been waiting for Shesterkin’s debut, the numbers he put in Russia were great and that created a lot of anticipation. This is now the era of Shesterkin and fans should be excited. If this team wants to get further into the playoffs, a change in goaltending was needed eventually.
Shesterkin is a strong player and is quick in the net. With more practice and experience, Shesterkin can become the breakout player of this team just like Lundqvist was.
It’s nothing but up from here for the Rangers and with Shesterkin possibly being the starter this team can become serious contenders.
Featured Image: ---
