Who is Vladislav Gavrikov, why is he one of the main contenders for an exchange in the NHL
“He looks like an octopus.” Why the Russian defender will definitely exchange the NHL in this case
Vladislav Gavrikov is Columbus’ most reliable defenseman, but right now, it would be profitable for a sinking club to sell him, not acquire him.
A quarter of the season has passed in the NHL – and this is the time to think about the first meetings. Enough matches have already been played so as not to make too quick conclusions – but at the same time it is already becoming clear in which position the team needs to find. In addition, the results of the first month and a half of regular work are already dividing the team into expectations of sellers and buyers.
Columbus has already firmly entered the category of sellers. After the signing of Johnny Gaudreau, the young team probably aimed for more, but the start of the season was unsuccessful, and then they got an avalanche of injuries that killed their club. Right now, the Uniforms are the worst team in the East both in terms of different goals and goal difference, and this is taking into account the fact that they tried 14 out of 20 games at home. This club has only two valuable players with an expired contract that can be traded – but we are interested in one of them.
Vladislav Gavrikov met at the base of his native Lokomotiv: already at the age of 20 he played for 16 minutes in the top KHL club, a year later he got into the squad for the 2017 World Cup, where the Kiselevich-Gavrikov pair did not miss a single goal during their stay on ice. Such a performance attracted the attention of the base club of the national team. SKA dumped 115 million rubles for Loko in order to protect the defender at home before the Olympics without the NHL, although he was not particularly eager to move to St. Petersburg.
Vladislav Gavrikov at the 2017 World Cup
Photo: RIA Novosti
Gavrikov left for Columbus, which drafted the defender, after two seasons with SKA. In the 2018/2019 championship, the defender set a record that is unlikely to be broken: he finished the season with +48 utility. Although the defender played 20 minutes per game, the opponents scored only 12 goals throughout the season, depending on the composition, when Vladislav was on the ice. John Tortorella appreciated such qualities of his rookie – and Gavrikov even managed to play in the 2019 playoffs, “eating” one year of the rookie’s contract and immediately joining the already established roster.
The old-school Torts coach, in his first season with Gavrikov, paired up with another homebody, David Savart, in the process, which made it a little easier for the quarterback to adapt to the NHL, though he wasn’t harrowing. “He does not allow frills. Even if he is out of shape, he can play freely. I respect Gavrikov for this reliability. His puck skills are underestimated, and in defense he seems like an octopus: if he covers you, there’s nowhere to go from Vladislav, he’s so strong, ”said the coach after Gavrikov’s first delayed season in the NHL.
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However, something soon broke in Columbus: after the departure of Panarin and Bobrovsky, the club spent another season by leaps and bounds. Then there was the legendary sabotage by Dubois, who could have been part of the team, but reached in Winnipeg.
The team went into restructuring, but Tortorella’s replacement Bradsen showed his complete inability to put up a defense. The Uniforms didn’t have the worst defensive lineup even after Seth Jones was paid, but the past Columbus conceded 3.2 goals per 60 minutes in significant lineups – one of the lowest numbers in the NHL over the past 15 years. Because of this, it is difficult to evaluate Gavrikov’s advanced metrics – to be in a complex suit.
Vladislav Gavrikov (left)
Photo: Jay LaPrete/AP Photo/TASS
The club would like to extend their most reliable defender and minority mainstay, but right now it might be profitable to trade Vladislav. His $2.8 million a year deal makes Gavrikov’s transfer extremely lucrative: right now, most clubs are very tight on the salary cap. In addition, the Russian defender still makes ridiculous money for a player of his stature: Buffalo later wrote a check for $4.28 million a year to Mattias Samuelsson, a homebody who had 54 league games at the time of signing.
The authoritative portal Daily Faceoff puts Gavrikov in eighth place in the list of the main transfer targets of the NHL. “Gavrikov is a tenacious defender who always puts defense first. Columbus have a replacement ready in the form of style-like Andrew Pick, who is currently on a three-year deal. For David Savar in 2021, the “uniforms” received draft picks of the first and third rounds, and Gavrikov is a better and younger player,” writes Frank Seravalli, an insider for the site.
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Journalists called Los Angeles the main contender. The team that ended with the rebuild is too skewed in the direction of attack, like most clubs in the relevant situation. The Kings score a lot, but concede more, the difference between the levels of Drew Doughty and the local defenders of the team is now too great. LA now has plenty of assets for such a fee.
Vladislav Gavrikov
Photo: David Kirouac/ZUMA/TASS
Now, another contender has appeared in the discussions – Toronto. An avalanche of injuries decimated the main defenders, while Jake Mazzin and T.J. Brody are out of the club’s main home games. So far, this does not interfere with Toronto later, but it can hit the results. In addition, the fact that the GM club of Kayla Dubas has an excellent relationship with Le Havre agent Dan Milstein may increase the likelihood of a transfer to the Leafs. Other teams were also named, including Ottawa, which is still sinking at the bottom of the table.
But right now, it’s definitely very difficult to imagine an option in which Gavrikov belongs to Columbus. The market for defenders at the standard deadline is tight, for defensive overpayments, and Vladislav with his sub-direction under the playoff style of play can give the “uniforms” a great catch.