Igor Shesterkins Rangers contract talks will stop by season opener if no deal is reached as free agency looms

The countdown to Oct.9 represents more than just the start to the Rangers’ 2024-25 season.Igor Shesterkin stressed his desire to keep his mind on his game when fielding questions about his pending unrestricted free agency next summer.

So if negotiations don’t resume over the next two weeks or so, as The Athletic first reported, there likely won’t be any during the season, The Post confirmed.As The Post reported in June, a $12 million average annual value has been reaffirmed by industry sources as a target for Shesterkin’s camp.It’s a matter of wanting to keep distractions to a minimum during the season, but it obviously could change at any time.There were preliminary discussions between the Rangers and Shesterkin’s camp earlier in the summer.The lack of a contract, however, naturally indicates they’re not seeing eye-to-eye.The longer Shesterkin goes without a contract the more precarious the situation becomes for the Rangers.

If the star Russian netminder is allowed to enter next offseason without a new contract from the Rangers, there would certainly be competition among teams who could afford to give Shesterkin what he wants.The 28-year-old Shesterkin expressed his love for the Rangers and New York, but also said what is true: You never know what can happen.There is also little chance the Rangers get a meaningful hometown discount.Leverage lies with Shesterkin’s camp, but the ball is in the Rangers’ court.

Shesterkin has been one of the Blueshirts’ best and most important players, with his .921 save percentage ranking second in the NHL over the last three seasons.His .929 save percentage in the playoffs since 2021-22 is the best in the NHL among goalies with at least 20 postseason appearances.The expectation is for Shesterkin to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history in a Rangers jersey or another....