There’s been a lot of speculation linking free-agent defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and the New York Rangers.
It first started with Arthur Staple, who reported that if Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury can clear enough cap space, the team could look to pursue Vladislav Gavrikov.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman followed up that report by indicating he has reason to believe that the Rangers may be one of the few teams Gavrikov would depart the Los Angeles Kings for.
“Among left shots, Vladislav Gavrikov is not believed to have a long list of places he wants to go if he leaves Los Angeles, which is why so many are pointing to the Rangers,” Friedman wrote.
It may be exciting and all to think about Gavrikov in a Blueshirts sweater, but it will come at a steep price if Drury wants to make it happen.
According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, a contract for Gavrikov will likely come in at seven years at almost eight million per season.
The Rangers would certainly be taking a risk by giving Gavrikov a long-term contract the likes in which Seravalli is describing.
If the Rangers end up trading K’Andre Miller, a scenario many NHL insiders are predicting, the chances of signing Gavrikov increase dramatically.
Rangers Reportedly Could Be One Of The Few Teams On Vladislav Gavrikov's Short List Of Destinations
The Free Agent Frenzy is just over a week away and there’s more steam picking up linking defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/" target="_blank">Rangers</a>.
It seemed as if the Rangers’ Achilles Heel was their defense and adding the 29-year-old should certainly help partially fix their glaring problems on the blueline.
We’ll have to see if Drury deems Gavrikov’s high value to be worth it in the long run.