The current salary structure of the NHL disfavors the goaltender position. For the most part, it is difficult for a goaltender to get paid because of the process in which one wins the starting job. Being that goaltenders are rarely taken in the first round of the entry draft, they have a less linear path to the NHL.
There is no clear cut, step one or two for a young goalie. The New York Rangers know this well as HenriK Lundqvist played so well as a rookie he usurped an established NHL goalie, Kevin Weekes, in a matter of months.