Igor Shesterkin’s 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 and a deal is not reached 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.