Igor Shesterkin is one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders. Not only is he a Vezina winner, but he’s also finished top five in voting. He’s also a one-time end-of-season All-Star and a former Hart finalist. But when the time comes, will that be enough to make the Rangers netminder a Hall of Famer?
It’s never been easy trying to figure out the exact qualifications of what makes a Hall of Famer in the world of hockey. In fact, The Athletic occasionally runs an exercise in which they simulate how the Hall of Fame committee would operate, led by Canadian journalist Eric Duhatschek. In a slightly different exercise, the publication identified 50 active players and looked at their potential Hall of Fame cases. This most recent exercise included Shesterkin.
The Athletic separated them into six tiers, with Shesterkin finishing in the bottom tier: “Check back in a few years.”
Shesterkin’s teammate Adam Fox, recently snubbed by NHL Network, finished in the same tier. They were the only two New York Rangers to make the publication’s list of 50.
Igor Shesterkin is Elite. Is he Hall-worthy?
Shesterkin’s numbers continue to impress even as the Rangers have struggled in the past two seasons. In his worst season, Shesterkin finished with a .905 save percentage in 2024-25. This was still above league average. Meanwhile, Shesterkin bounced back with a .912 save percentage last season. His numbers rose despite the league-wide average dropping from .900 in 2024-25 to .896 in 2025-26. He also finished sixth of 98 goaltenders last season in MoneyPuck’s Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx). Shesterkin regularly finishes in the top 10 of that list, including a number one finish in 2021-22.
The Rangers missed Shesterkin badly last season. Coincidentally, he and Adam Fox both got hurt on the same day. In a 3-2 overtime loss to Utah, the Rangers’ two stars couldn’t finish the game. Minus Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox’s elite play, the Rangers went 2-11-0 in their next 13 games leading up to the Olympic Break. That stretch without these two effectively ended their season.
There’s little doubt that Shesterkin is generally superior to his peers. However, does that make for a Hall of Fame case? The Athletic says not quite yet.
…there’s no way to know how the Hall of Fame committee will view goalies when he’s up for election. So he probably needs another season at least around Vezina finalist-level to move into “On track.”
Shesterkin, who turns 31 in December, should still have plenty of hockey left in his career. He’ll have work to do.
Following in Hall of Fame Footsteps
While it’s always tough to compare across eras, Shesterkin is running behind his Hall of Fame predecessor, Henrik Lundqvist, in most areas. If you compare their first six full seasons, Lundqvist leads in nearly every category: wins (Lundqvist 213 to 177), save percentage (Lundqvist .918 to .916), GAA (Lundqvist 2.32 to 2.52) and shutouts (Lundqvist 35 to 22). Granted, Lundqvist averaged nearly 68 starts per season in that era. Shesterkin is averaging closer to 51. Despite that quantity chasm, Shesterkin compares favorably to Lundqvist in some categories. In Hockey-Reference’s Quality Start percentage, Lundqvist leads by only 0.002 percentage points. In their GSAA (Goals Saved Above Average) metric, Shesterkin leads despite playing less.
There’s little doubt that Igor Shesterkin is elite. He’ll also get every opportunity this season for a team that’s built to win tight games. Though the Rangers are not exactly a favorite to make the playoffs, Shesterkin has been dominant in his playoff career.
Shesterkin is 23-20 in the playoffs, but all of his numbers are across-the-board better at the highest level. First, his career playoff save percentage is .928. Second, his GAA is 2.41. Third, his Quality Start percentage jumps to .750.
It’s a reminder that if the Rangers return to the playoffs, Igor Shesterkin’s elite bona fides can be refreshed. He might not be Hall of Fame-worthy yet. But much like The Athletic suggested, this is a player worth watching for the next few seasons.
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