By Colin Loughran

Copyright clutchpoints

The New York Rangers will enter the upcoming season with questions regarding their ceiling, but goaltender Igor Shesterkin has already made his expectations crystal clear.

“What are Igor Shesterkin’s expectations for #NYR this season?” Mollie Walker of the New York Post tweeted.

“Stanley Cup,” Shesterkin said.

When healthy, Shesterkin is one of the game’s best goalies. He won the Vezina Trophy for his performance during the 2021-2022 season. He posted a .935 Save Percentage and won 36 games as the Rangers ultimately advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 29-year-old has been effective since that breakout season, but has not been quite as dominant.

The Rangers earned 85 points with a 39-36-7 last season. It was a major step back from their Presidents’ Trophy run a year prior. Players such as Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, K’Andre Miller, and others have departed as a result of the team’s shortcomings.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan has replaced Peter Laviolette, and the franchise recently named center J.T. Miller as the team’s captain. The new-look Rangers figure to play in the image of their new leader, who is known for his grit and toughness.

The team was seen wearing shirts that read, “No B.S.” and it seems as though this mentality begins with their captain.

“We want to be a fast, in-your-face, F-U type of team,” Miller told The Athletic. “What are (other teams) going to say about the Rangers in their room? What do we want them to think about us? ‘They’re a team that’s not going to give you an easy night.’”

Shesterkin, Miller, and the Rangers will begin their regular season on October 7 when they host the Penguins.