As Rangers management convenes at team president Glen Sather’s Western White House in La Quinta for its annual hockey department meetings that commenced Tuesday afternoon, general manager Jeff Gorton continues to make progress toward getting Russian blue-chip winger Pavel Buchnevich under contract.

Multiple sources have told The Post that while there is more to be done than simply dotting I’s and crossing T’s, it is possible — though not certain — that an entry-level deal with the 21-year-old could be reached by the weekend.

Buchnevich, the 85th overall selection in the 2013 entry draft, has representation both in North America and in Russia, so the process is not always straightforward. But The Post has been told that Buchnevich has declared his intent to join the Rangers after deferring that decision last year.

If the deal is indeed consummated, the plan would be for Buchnevich — who does not speak English — to spend as much of the summer as possible training in New York in order to become acclimated to his surroundings.

Talent evaluators have likened Buchnevich’s skill set to that owned by Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov. In other words, a potential impact player. And though the Rangers don’t want to heap too much weight too soon on the shoulders of the 6-foot-1, 176-pounder, the organization that doesn’t have an abundance of potential difference-makers in the pipeline is counting on Buchnevich to nail down a top-nine, if not a top-six, spot out of training camp.

The winger, selected with the third-round draft pick that came from Columbus in the Rick Nash mega-deal, recorded 16 goals and 37 points in the KHL during his age-20 season that he split between Cherepovets and St. Petersburg.

Buchnevich underwent bursa sac surgery following the playoffs, but the 2-to-3-week recovery process should not have any impact on his summer program.

Gorton, meanwhile, is chairing his first summer meeting after having succeeded Sather as GM last July. Management, in consultation with scouting and player development personnel and the coaching staffs of both the Rangers and AHL Wolf Pack, will plot an offseason direction following the decisive first-round defeat to the Penguins that marked the team’s quickest playoff exit since 2011.

The Rangers have yet to begin talks with pending restricted free agents Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes and Dylan McIlrath — all of whom have salary arbitration rights — or with pending unrestricted free agents Keith Yandle and Viktor Stalberg. The club is not expected to pursue a deal with deadline rental acquisition Eric Staal or with fellow pending free agents Dominic Moore and Dan Boyle.

Depending upon the 2016-17 cap number that will be established in late June, the Blueshirts currently have between $16 million and $18 million of space available for their summer business. Approximately $56.1 million is committed to goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Raanta; defensemen Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Kevin Klein and Brady Skjei; wingers Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello, Jesper Fast and Tanner Glass; and centers Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard and Oscar Lindberg.

Potential 2017 expansion draft regulations that should be set by next month (if the league indeed expands for 2017-18) will factor prominently in the club’s decision-making, especially as they may affect a potential Girardi buyout — the first buyout window is from June 15-30 — or a potential Nash trade.

Girardi, Marc Staal and Lundqvist all have no-move clauses in their contracts. Nash and Brassard have limited no-trade clauses in place. McDonagh has a limited no-trade that takes effect on July 1.

The Blueshirts do not currently own either a first- or second-round pick in next month’s draft.