NY RANGERS: CAN IGOR SHESTERKIN BE NEXT "KING" OF BROADWAY?

NY RANGERS: CAN IGOR SHESTERKIN BE NEXT "KING" OF BROADWAY?

By: Matthew Blittner



Hen-rik! Hen-rik! Hen-rik!

If you're a Blueshirts' fan you know this chant all to well.

"The King." Henrik Lundqvist's extraordinary nickname fits him like one of his Swedish tailored suits.

Since 2005 The King has ruled MSG with a scepter in one hand and a blocker in the other. He wears his crown proudly, but most only ever see him with his mask on.

The Rangers' franchise leader in wins, saves, and shutouts has done it all on the ice -- except win a Stanley Cup. He has won 30+ games in 11 of his first 12 seasons -- only one other netminder can claim that -- and the one time he didn't reach 30 wins, was the lockout shortened 2012-13 season during which, he lead the NHL with 24 wins. 

A one-time Vezina Trophy winner, and 11-time NHL All-Star, the King has earned his reputation as one of the finest goalies in the National Hockey League, both in the present and throughout history. His 400+ wins speak volumes, and entering his age-35 season the King is still a top-10 netminder across the league.

But that begs the question, just how much longer can the King remain on his throne? Rangers' fans will surely want to burn me at the stake for daring to ask such a question, but Father Time waits for nobody. 

Throughout the history of professional sports Father Time is the only unbeaten entity, and eventually he comes to collect even the greatest of athletes.

Henrik Lundqvist is no exception, and as he continues to play though the back-nine of his illustrious career, it's fair to wonder how many holes he has to go until the magic 18th?

Last season saw Hank struggle more then he ever has before, but it's a testament to his greatness that he still managed to record a 31-20-4 record to go along with a .910 save percentage and 2.74 goals-against-average. The record is impressive, but his SV% and GAA were the worst of his career and have been trending downwards for a few years now.

This isn't to say that the end is imminent. Far from it. Henny should still be an above-average goalie for the next two years, but after that, well like I said, Father Time waits for no man.

So, when that unfortunate comes, who will be there to take over for the King? If history has taught us anything, the King usually passes on his crown to the Prince. But who's the Rangers' Prince?

In the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, the Rangers selected Russian puck-stopper Igor Shesterkin in the 4th-round, and at the time his signing was received as move for the future rather than the present. Well guess what, the future is rapidly approaching.

The 21-year-old goalie has dominated the KHL and last season he registered an otherworldly record of 31-4-1, to go along with a 1.64 GAA, .937 SV%, and 8 shutouts. All of which were career-highs.

Shesterkin's KHL contract runs through next season, after which he will be free to play for the Blueshirts.

Assuming that Igor joins the Blueshirts for the 2018-19 season, he should be the backup for Lundqvist. During that time he can learn from the King, the same way that Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers learned from Brett Favre. 

After that, with Hank entering his age-37 season their roles could conceivably flip. Shesterkin will assume the role of starter while Lundqvist becomes the backup. 

From that point on, it will all be about the Russian Prince and how well he can replace the Swedish King. If his KHL numbers are any indication, I'd say it's safe to assume that the transfer of power in RangersTown will be a smooth one.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PREVIEW: RANGERS VS SENATORS GAME 6 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

PREVIEW: RANGERS VS SENATORS GAME 6 EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS By: Matthew Blittner Is this 2012 or 2017? You might ask, what commonality links these two years together? Well, let's take a look at the New York Rangers' playoff runs from both years. 2012: The Rangers faced the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals and fell behind three games to two after losing Game 5 at Madison Square Garden by a score of 2-0 as Jason Spezza netted both Ottawa goals against Henrik Lundqvist and Craig Anderson pitched a 41-save shutout. 2017: The Rangers are facing the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Second Round or the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals if you will. After losing Game 5 in Ottawa, by a score of 5-4 in overtime, the Blueshirts find themselves in the same 3-2 hole that they did in 2012. Once again, Henrik Lundqvist got beat in a crucial game, this time thanks to Kyle Turris's OT game-winner, while Craig Anderson, who was ...
Read more

RANGERS EXPANSION DRAFT: WHO TO PROTECT

RANGERS EXPANSION DRAFT: WHO TO PROTECT By: Matthew Blittner As many of you who follow the NHL know, next season will feature the first chapter in the new Las Vegas Golden Knights franchise history. But, before that can happen, the Golden Knights have to build themselves a roster, and as per NHL tradition, that means that Vegas will have the opportunity to select one player from each of the remaining 30 teams in the league. In years past, the goal was to simply fill out the roster of the new expansion franchise, but this time around, the NHL has decided that it wants their newest club member to be competitive right out of the gate. So, certain rules were put in place to help speed up Vegas' competitive timetable.  On June 21st, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Golden Knights will formally announce to the world, their list of selected players. The NY Rangers, are in the same boat as every other club in the NHL. They will lose one player to t...
Read more

NY RANGERS: PRESEASON GAME 3 PREVIEW VS. ISLANDERS

NY RANGERS: PRESEASON GAME 3 PREVIEW VS. ISLANDERS By: Matthew Blittner Welcome to Bridgeport, Connecticut! After playing their first two preseason games in the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden the Rangers will hit the road for a back-to-back set starting on Friday night at the Webster Bank Arena against the Islanders. After facing the Isles on Friday, the Blueshirts travel to Newark, New Jersey to take on the Devils Saturday night. Through two games, the Rangers are a perfect 2-0 in preseason play, thanks to consecutive overtime wins against the Islanders and Devils. Friday night in Bridgeport the Blueshirts will look to go 2-0 against the rival Islanders and continue to establish momentum as they prepare for the regular season. Game time is 7:30pm EST and will be broadcast on MSG Networks. The big story for the Rangers has been the play of their rookies, specifically that of their first-round draft picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. ...
Read more