Breaking down the pricy NHL goaltending market
Lucas Carpignano, Sports Editor
When it comes to hockey, arguably the most important player for a team is the goaltender. Equipped with split-second decisions and lightning-fast reflexes, goaltenders stand as the last line of defence for their teams. A very popular conversation in the hockey world though is — how much should goalies get paid? Over the last couple of months, we have seen a new standard be set for the next generation of goaltenders.
Back in 2017, Carey Price signed a massive eight-year, $84 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens. This would mean that he would make $10.5 million per season. This contract broke the hockey world and started the discussion on whether or not goalies are worth all that money. Price is arguably one of the greatest goaltenders of this generation, yet people still criticize this contract. Two years later Sergei Bobrovsky signed a seven-year, $70 million contract with the Florida Panthers. Once again, this contract was criticized by hockey fans, but Bobrovsky was, and still is, one of the best goalies in the league.
Fast forward to July 2023, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders signed an eight-year, $66 million contract, which works out to $8.25 million annually. This was the first signing of this new era of goaltender contracts. Over the past few seasons, Sorokin has been one of the best goaltenders in the league, despite the fact that the Islanders have been struggling overall during this time.
A few months later, Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract. This works out to be $8.5 million per season. This contract has been looking to be worth it given the fact that the Jets are the best team in the league this year, thanks to the help of Hellebuyck.
Now this past October, two very high-profile goalies signed identical contracts with their respective teams. Jeremy Swayman with the Boston Bruins and Jake Oettinger with the Dallas Stars both signed eight-year deals valued at $66 million, or $8.25 million. Both goaltenders are considered to be the fantastic goalies in the league, both standing behind only one person.
So far, there has been a clear pattern for all of these contracts, they all fall just north of $8 million per season, which would suggest that this is the going rate for a really good goalie in the league. However, arguably the best goalie in the world, Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, is demanding significantly more than this. It was reported by reputable NHL reporter, Kevin Weekes, that Shesterkin turned down an eight-year, $88 million or $11 million per season contract. This would be the biggest contract an NHL goalie would have signed, surpassing Price’s from seven years ago. This has left hockey fans speechless, but as the season goes on, Shesterkin is proving to everyone why he is worth more than what he was offered.
While the goalie market has been relatively calm compared to other years, it is still important for these players to be valued fairly. They are the backbone of their teams, and they deserve to be paid fairly. While the going rate may be around $8 million, sometimes you have a generational talent like Shesterkin which you cannot afford to lose in free agency.
Photo Credit: Boston Bruins/X
