Igor Shesterkin is betting on himself and so far it’s working.

According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, Shesterkin turned down an eight-year, $88 million contract from the New York Rangers that would have made him the highest paid goalie in NHL history.

If the report is indeed true, this is a bold move from Shesterkin as it’s almost unprecedented for any player to reject this sort of contract let alone a goalie.

In the Rangers’ dominant 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night, the 28-year-old superstar showed why he deserves every penny that he is seeking.

He recorded a 29-save shutout and was unstoppable throughout the entirety of the night.

Shesterkin was sharp, almost seeming like a man on a mission. The Penguins were throwing a lot Shesterkin’s way especially early on in the contest, but he proved to the Rangers management that they have the best goalie in the world on their team.

It’s clear that over last season’s playoffs and yesterday’s game, the Rangers can only go as far as Shesterkin takes them, so the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner knows what his worth is and is aware that New York can’t afford to lose a player of his magnitude.

If Shesterkin keeps up this level of play, it puts a lot of pressure on the Rangers to get a deal done quickly before things could spiral out of control.

Shesterkin made his move and now the goalie’s performance will dictate what sort of contract he will ultimately receive.

Both parties should be feeling the pressure. Until a contract is resolved, this will be a looming storyline that clouds over the entire team and we’ll have to see how it all unfolds.