Recent speculation and trade rumors have circled around the New York Rangers and former Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
Although he is in his first season with the Rangers, the word around the Russian blueliner is that he doesn’t want to be a part of the step-back transition the team is going through.
Advertisement
On July 1, the off-season’s first day of NHL free agency, he signed a seven-year, $49-million contract that pays him $7 million per year. However, with the new deal, and only featuring in 57 contests as a Ranger, Gavrikov appears to be open to moving on to a more preferable situation.
NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp claimed that he heard some rumblings involving Gavrikov and how the current state of the Rangers “isn’t necessarily what he signed up for.”
In 2023-24, a couple of seasons before Gavrikov joined the Blueshirts, the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference final and were a strong team. Since then, that has changed, and Gavrikov’s perspective with this team may have been reset.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Does Vladislav Gavrikov Want Out Of New York? Can The Canucks Move Evander Kane?
Advertisement
In addition to the organization openly announcing a retooling phase, the Kings acquired superstar left winger Artemi Panarin.
Panarin is a fellow countryman of Gavrikov, and they were teammates before the Rangers when they were both members of the Columbus Blue Jackets at one point. So, Panarin’s departure to Los Angeles in tandem with the team’s poor performances is a strong recipe for Gavrikov’s willingness to move.
Report: Kings Practice Reveals Panarin’s Potential Linemates
Advertisement
However, it must be noted that there hasn’t been any official trade request or reports of conversations regarding Gavrikov’s situation in New York City.
Nonetheless, the 30-year-old defenseman was a solid blueliner during his parts of three seasons with the Kings. In his final campaign in Hollywood, Gavrikov posted a plus-26 plus-minus rating, the most among the team’s D-corps.
Even in this season with the Rangers, he’s having a respectable year while averaging 24:04 of ice time, the most of his NHL career. And while it’s not what he’s paid to do, he has nine goals this season, beating his previous best of six goals with the Kings in 2023-24.
Image
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
