Vladislav Gavrikov (© Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)The New York Rangers made multiple moves this off-season. Among their most notable ones of the summer was signing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract in free agency.
The Rangers had been viewed as a potential suitor for Gavrikov before he officially hit the market, and it was easy to understand. It was well known that the Rangers wanted to shake up their blueline, and Gavrikov was the best defenseman who hit the market. Furthermore, it was not a secret that K'Andre Miller's name was incredibly popular in the rumor mill before they officially traded him to the Carolina Hurricanes. Thus, the decision to bring in Gavrikov was a no-brainer for the Rangers.
Now, when looking at the Rangers' defensive group, Gavrikov should be a big part of their roster moving forward. He is now easily their top left-shot defenseman, and he should be used on their top pairing with star blueliner Adam Fox. Furthermore, due to his steady defensive play, the Rangers will undoubtedly be relying on him when it comes to their penalty kill.
Gavrikov showed this past season with the Los Angeles Kings that he can be a real difference-maker, too. In 82 games on the year, he recorded five goals, 25 assists, 30 points, 140 blocks, and a plus-26 rating. With numbers like these, he provides a bit of everything, and he should give the Rangers' roster a nice boost because of it.
