The New York Rangers essentially swapped K’Andre Miller for Vladislav Gavrikov this offseason.
Shortly after signing Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract, the Rangers traded K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, who ultimately signed an eight-year, $60 million contract.
The change from Miller to Gavrikov marks a drastic shift to the Rangers’ blueline and shaping of their top-four defensemen.
While Miller is younger than Gavrikov, the Rangers should gain more stability with Gavrikov and will likely be better off this upcoming season.
Gavrikov is known for his shutdown presence and defensively minded game, traits that the Rangers desperately needed.
Despite having an extraordinary amount of potential, Miller struggled to defend in his own zone and was prone to committing costly turnovers.
From a defensive standpoint, the Rangers certainly improve having Gavrikov as opposed to Miller.
“We’ve liked Gavvy for a long time, watching him play for Columbus and LA and the attributes he’s going to bring to our D-corps for many years to come have us very excited,” Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury said.
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Offensively, Miller may bring more to the table from an individual standpoint compared to Gavrikov, but there’s a catch.
If Gavrikov is paired alongside Adam Fox, he’ll take a big load off of Fox defensively, which will help open up his offensive game.
In order for the Rangers to become Stanley Cup contenders, Fox needs to play at an elite level, and Gavrikov could help bring the best out of Fox.
Based on the Rangers’ needs and where they are as a team at this current moment, Gavrikov is just a better fit than Miller.