Igor Shesterkin Can Learn A Team-First Lesson From Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby-haters among Rangers fans may have to owe the Penguins captain a note of thanks.

The trick is that Sid-The-No-Longer-A-Kid may have ensured that Igor Shesterkin remains a Ranger. Here's how:

Crosby, the Penguins' balance-wheel ever since he arrived in Pittsburgh, just signed a new contract for an astonishingly low $8.7 million.

Mind you, we're talking about The Superb One – a multi-Stanley Cup-winner; a sure Hall of Famer who'll go down in NHL annals in a class with Rocket Richard, Jean Beliveau, Mark Messier and Bobby Orr. among other aces.

He signed for bargain bucks for a reason; Crosby did it for the team. Are you listening, Iggy: HE DID IT FOR THE TEAM. (Can you do that, Sir Goalkeeper?)

Sidney is providing his GM Kyle Dubas with Cap room to lift his downtrodden sextet back into the rarified playoff realm. And the hope here is that the message seeps into Shesterkin's cranium.

If Shesterkin really cares about his Blueshirts TEAM future, he'll do Chris Drury a favor by settling for something like Crosby's $8 mil.

Mind you, this would not be unprecedented. The reason why the Devils won three Stanley Cups is because Marty Brodeur was reasonable with his contracts. To put it another way; the winningest goalie never was the greediest.

That's why Lou Lamoriello was able to retain his winning core led by Hall of Fame defensemen, Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer.

We all know that Czar Igor is good but he's not a Cup-winner. We know that Sidney Crosby is Mister Everything to Pittsburgh and a many-champion.

It says here that if the Penguins captain has willingly signed for less than nine million simoleons for the good of his team, Shesterkin – no more valuable than Sid – should do likewise.

A. It won't break Iggy;l B. It will create needed Cap space; C. Rangers fans will respect him more for not being greedy!