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The NHL is seeing some deja vu with goalie contracts just lately.
Jake Oettinger secured an eight-year, $66-million extension with the Dallas Stars, averaging $8.25 million yearly. This deal locations him amongst an elite group of goaltenders who’ve just lately signed comparable contracts, together with Ilya Sorokin and Jeremy Swayman.
Sorokin re-signed with the New York Islanders for a similar common annual worth and time period on July 1, 2023. Swayman and the Boston Bruins had been about to start out the common season with no deal performed, however the crew and goalie agreed on the identical eight-year deal and $8.25-million cap hit as properly.
The altering goalie market is making headlines as a number of the NHL’s higher netminders grew to become due for brand new offers. There’s additionally Igor Shesterkin, who will doubtless signal a record-breaking contract with the New York Rangers or doubtlessly one other squad if he reaches free company subsequent summer season. However Oettinger’s deal is the most recent in a collection of signings that trace the market is resetting.
Did the Stars lock of their star goalie earlier than Shesterkin’s subsequent deal shifts the market much more? Or is that this already the brand new goaltender market that can have an effect on Shesterkin’s negotiations?
Related: Dallas Stars Re-Sign Jake Oettinger To Massive Eight-Year Contract
Is Shesterkin Price $3 Million Extra Than These Different Goalies?
Oettinger’s contract aligns with what seems to be a shift available in the market. Extra goalies are taking over greater than 9 % of the crew’s total cap hit, with $8.25 million counting for 9.38 %. As a lot as NHL golf equipment have tried to keep away from together with the goalies in wage hikes for the sport’s high stars, extra organizations are beginning to admire the worth of beginning netminders.
With the NHL wage cap projected to extend, the importance of securing dependable goaltending turns into even clearer. With Shesterkin seemingly holding out for the armored truck to again up, the Islanders, Bruins and Stars had been sensible to get these offers finalized earlier than Shesterkin signed.
Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck agreeing to an $8.5-million cap hit final 12 months has additionally contributed to this market reset. He signed after successful a Vezina Trophy and tried to get extra however in the end settled to stick with the Winnipeg Jets. Nevertheless, Oettinger’s extension, coming in on the similar common as Swayman and Sorokin, demonstrated why there was no sense in holding out as soon as the value was set.
Oettinger expressed gratitude for the Stars’ dealing with of his contract negotiations, realizing he did not need to undergo arbitration or maintain out to get his cash. He appeared pleased to not go down the identical street as Shesterkin, who just lately rejected an $11 million per season supply, in line with ESPN’s Kevin Weekes. One has to surprise if Oettinger’s deal brings the Rangers and Shesterkin again to the desk with completely different expectations.
Ought to Shesterkin safe a profitable deal, it may redefine the NHL’s goalie market but once more, pushing Oettinger’s contract to seem much more beneficial.
The Stars did not wish to take any probabilities. With goaltending turning into more and more important within the NHL, the Stars would have been on the hook for extra if the Rangers agreed to Shesterkin’s phrases earlier, even when the Blueshirts’ No. 1 has extra leverage as a pending UFA.
Oettinger is in good firm with the identical cap hit and time period as Sorokin and Swayman. Whether or not the comparable value rises after Shesterkin’s contract will probably be value following.
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