The signing of Vladislav Gavrikov is turning out to be extremely impactful for the New York Rangers.
During the offseason, the Rangers invested $49 million into Gavrikov, one of the most sought after free agents of the 2025 class.
This comes after the Rangers’ defensive struggles during the 2024-25 season plagued the team, and the need to add a defensive stalwart was evident.
Gavrikov fit the bill given his steady defensive presence, specifically the reliability he brings in his own zone.
The addition of Gavrikov also gave Adam Fox a strong defensive partner, who could help take some of the burden off of him and allow the star blueliner to focus more on his offensive game.
The Rangers wanted a shutdown defenseman and they got one with Gavrikov, as he’s been playing in all shorthanded and late-game situations, averages 23:10 minutes per game, which is second amongst all Rangers players only behind Fox, and he’s shown how how effective he is at containing opposing team’s offenses whether it’s through his physical style of play or his nifty stick work.
“We think he's a very good defenseman,” Sullivan said of Gavrikov. “We thought he was a good defenseman when we signed him, and he's been everything we had hoped he'd be, and then some. He defends hard. We rely on him in these situations.”
The big test for the 30-year-old defenseman came when Fox landed on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury, forcing Gavrikov to jump into the Rangers’ No. 1 defenseman role.
In the first full game without Fox, Gavrikov played a team-high 22:29 minutes, proving how valuable he truly is.
On Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime, propelling the Rangers to a 3-2 win.
He’s made a surprising impact offensively, recording five goals, seven assists, and 12 points in 28 games.
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While Gavrikov is not the fastest skater, he has good offensive instincts due to his high hockey IQ, finding the right times to pinch and attack the front of the net.
“Well, I don't know that we thought 20-something games in he'd have five goals,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, his core competency is his ability to defend. He's hard to play against. He's one of the better defending defensemen, we think, in the league. Having said that, we believe has the ability to help our offense, whether it be with outlet passes or joining the rush or being active off the offensive blue line. I won't lie, I'm surprised with how effective he's been just with his instincts. In particular, the way he jumps off the offensive blue line.”
With Fox expected to be sidelined at least until Christmas, Gavrikov will likely continue to lead the team in minutes and take on the No. 1 defensemen responsibilities, something he’s shown to be very much capable of doing.