It's speculated that New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov isn't happy with the club's direction. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the Vancouver Canucks can find a trade partner for Evander Kane.
The New York Rangers began the process of rebuilding their roster by trading left winger Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings and defenseman Carson Soucy to the New York Islanders.
Once the Olympic trade freeze is lifted at midnight on Sunday, Rangers GM Chris Drury could attempt more moves in the 12 days leading up to the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
In an open letter to fans last month, Drury indicated that he could trade players who were part of the club's previous success. That suggests that recent additions, such as defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, would remain as part of the rebuild.
The 30-year-old Gavrikov signed a seven-year, $49-million contract with the Rangers as a free agent last July. That deal also came with a full no-movement clause for the first five years.
Gavrikov is currently playing a significant role on the Rangers' blueline, logging a team-leading 24:04 of ice time per game (including 2:38 of shorthanded ice time). He's second with 86 blocked shots and third with 17 takeaways.
Nevertheless, it's been a difficult season for the Rangers. With management aiming for a quick rebuild, there is speculation that Gavrikov could be unhappy with the club's direction.
During a Feb. 13 appearance on the Daily Faceoff Podcast, NHL insider Mike Rupp claimed he'd heard rumors that Gavrikov felt this wasn't what he'd signed up for, especially with his friend Panarin being traded to the Kings.
Rupp said that he didn't know how much truth there was to the speculation. Still, the Rangers' struggles may have caught Gavrikov by surprise, especially if Drury sold him on a quick reversal of their fortunes. Whether that prompts him to request a trade remains to be seen.
Speaking of sellers at the trade deadline, the Vancouver Canucks are expected to peddle their UFA-eligible players by March 6. They include forwards Evander Kane, Teddy Blueger and David Kampf.
Thomas Drance of The Athletic believes moving Kane should be among the Canucks' priorities at the trade deadline. He acknowledged the 34-year-old right winger's struggles this season have hurt his trade value, but the market could improve as the deadline nears, given his experience as a playoff performer.
The Canucks attempted to move Kane several weeks ago. They even permitted his agent to speak with other teams about a trade. At one point, he was linked to the Dallas Stars. Any interested teams will want the Canucks to retain half of his $5.125-million cap hit.
As for Blueger and Kampf, Drance believes the Canucks should try to get whatever they can for them in the trade market.
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