Most of the words Chris Drury said in July about defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov centered around the defensive aspect of the defenseman’s $49 million matchup. The Rangers president and general manager wanted to be better in front of their goalies. He wanted to improve coverage in high-risk areas. Gavrikov, who was signed to a seven-year contract at the start of free agency that month to pair with Adam Fox, possessed “the qualities of an elite shutdown man.”
But over the past eight months, another layer to Gavrikov’s game has begun to emerge. He has become a scoring option for the Blueshirts, something that wasn’t necessarily the case in past seasons with the Kings and Blue Jackets.
After scoring in his third straight game on Saturday in a loss to the Devils, Gavrikov collected 12 goals — breaking his previous career high of six — after scoring just 11 in the last two seasons combined.
He’ll have a chance to continue the longest goal streak of his career Monday against Philadelphia, but even if it ends, Gavrikov becomes the third Blueshirts defenseman to record a three-game goal streak over the past 10 seasons, according to the team.
He also tied Hy Buller, from the 1951-52 campaign, for the first most goals scored by a defenseman in his first season on Broadway as well.
These numbers were all a bit unexpected for Gavrikov. But with uncertainty looming this offseason after trade rumors involving Braden Schneider and vague comments from Fox about his desire to stay with the Blue Jerseys through their retooling, Gavrikov has emerged — given the length of time remaining on his deal and the production in his first season — as one of the surest pieces the Rangers have on their blue line.
“From an offensive standpoint, I think he had a really, really good year,” head coach Mike Sullivan said Friday. “He’s everything we hoped for defensively when we signed him, but his attacking style, I think, has been a welcome addition to our group – and we think he’s been very good in that area of the rink.”
With Fox skating in just 35 games this season and missing significant time with two stints on long-term injured reserve, and with Schneider also mostly struggling this season, Gavrikov has really become an anchor of the Rangers’ blue line nowadays as well. He leads all Blue Jerseys in ice time. His 25 points lead all defensemen. He has filled roles on both the penalty kill and power play units.
Recently, the goals have continued. Less than a minute into the third period during a March 2 game, Gavrikov threaded a pass to Fox across the blue line and then deflected toward the left post — collecting a rebound and sending a shot past the Blue Jackets. Then, against the Maple Leafs, Gavrikov scored on a rebound. To give the Blueshirts a temporary lead on Saturday, he took an extra step from the point and put a shot past Jacob Markstrom.
These are signs that teams are looking to fix roster needs. Ones that contain a glimmer of hope, that embody the idea that there are internal building blocks as well as any external ones acquired or formulated.
There’s Gaby Perreault, who is up to 11 points and has taken on a role on the first line. There’s Will Coyle, in the midst of another productive season as a physical two-way forward. There’s Noah Lapa, a rookie center. Then there’s Gavrikov, who is so established in the NHL that he was a commodity last summer but is still in the early stages of his tenure with the Rangers.
Fox’s absence has forced some shuffling alongside Gavrikov throughout the season, but in the bigger picture, the duo’s long-term status is murky. When asked if he wanted to stay with the Rangers through their retooling, Fox said that was an offseason conversation.
When given the opportunity to clarify those comments, he doubled down. Schneider’s name was also in the rumor mill before the deadline. It’s unclear how eager Drury will be to move any of those pieces into the offseason with the Rangers sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference and committed to retooling — on paper — after The Letter 2.0.
But the Rangers know they likely have Gavrikov. They will have someone who has fulfilled expectations of being a premier outfielder while unexpectedly adding offensive contributions as well. The next step involves making sure it’s not just a one-season fluke. For production to become sustainable.
But right now, in a lost season for the Rangers, he has certainly emerged as one of the bright spots.