Rangers' Igor Shesterkin was, at times, worried about his contract negotiations

When he spoke to reporters in training camp and was asked about his contract negotiations, Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin said he wasn’t worried about it. He was under contract for one more year, he said, and he would let his agent handle everything.

But on Monday morning at Madison Square Garden, where he was back to work after taking Sunday off to be with his wife, Anna, as she delivered the couple’s second child, a girl, Shesterkin admitted that he had been thinking about his contract negotiations. He couldn’t help it.

“To be honest, it was really hard to take all this noise,’’ he said. “But everything happened right now. Everything is done and I can be ready for a game and be focused.

“Sometimes it’s not hard [to focus] and sometimes it’s hard,’’ he said. “But sometimes it was pretty hard, especially after bad games. So you just try to go to the next day, but it follows you, and everyone talks about that.”

Shesterkin agreed on Friday to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension that will make him the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. He wasin goal when the Rangers closed out their five-game homestand Monday night against last-place Chicago. The Rangers were looking to bounce back from Sunday’s crushing 7-5 loss to the Seattle Kraken, a game in which they held a 3-1 lead in the second period.

“We gave up too many goals [Sunday],” coach Peter Laviolette said.

Having a happy, focused Shesterkin in goal figured to help the Rangers against a Chicago team that fired its coach, Luke Richardson, on Thursday and entered Monday with an 8-17-2 record, having scored the third-fewest goals (66) in the league.

“He’s a big piece of our team,” Laviolette said. “He’s proven to be one of the top goaltenders, so I think having him under contract on the New York Rangers for several years . . . that’s a real positive.”

Shesterkin, who will turn 29 on Dec. 30, played Friday and made 20 saves to earn a 4-2 win over Pittsburgh and even his record at 9-9-1. On Monday, he expressed thanks to Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan and Rangers general manager Chris Drury for agreeing to his deal and thanked his teammates and the fans for their support.

“I just want to thank Mr. Dolan, Chris Drury and the entire Rangers organization for making it happen,’’ he said. “I will try my best and we will try to bring the [Stanley] Cup back to New York. And I want to thank all Rangers fans because they support us so hard. And we will play for them, play for our families.”

Shesterkin said he, his wife, his parents and all of his friends love New York and that it was important for him to stay here. And he expressed confidence that the team will continue to have success.

“The future is bright,’’ he said.

But while getting Shesterkin signed was a major accomplishment for Drury — as was trading captain Jacob Trouba and opening up millions of dollars in precious salary-cap space — there still is more work for Drury.

He already has inked winger Alexis Lafreniere to a seven-year, $52.15 million deal in late October, but there still are a number of players on expiring contracts who will need extensions.

Defenseman K’Andre Miller is set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, as are fellow defensemen Zac Jones and Urho Vaakanainen. Wingers Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko, who are having great seasons, will be restricted free agents, as will rookie winger Adam Edstrom. Backup goaltender Jonathan Quick will be an unrestricted free agent, as will forwards Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey.

Notes & quotes: Laviolette was cagey when asked about potential lineup changes, but it appeared rookie forward Brett Berard, who missed three games with an upper-body injury, was going to return to the lineup. Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski stayed on late after the morning skate and appeared to be the scratches along with call-up D Connor Mackey . . . With Shesterkin available, G Dylan Garand was returned to AHL Hartford.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.