The New York Rangers find themselves in a tough spot. Sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, the franchise is shifting its focus toward the future.
General manager Chris Drury has made it clear: it’s time to retool. Injuries to cornerstone players like Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin have taken a toll, and several key veterans have underperformed.
But amid the disappointment, there’s been one consistent bright spot on the blue line - Vladislav Gavrikov.
Gavrikov: A Steady Force in a Tumultuous Season
Let’s talk about Gavrikov. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defenseman has quietly been one of the Rangers’ most reliable players this season. After signing a seven-year, $49 million deal in the offseason, he stepped into a top-pairing role and delivered exactly what the Rangers hoped for - physicality, poise, and a calming presence on the back end.
Originally a sixth-round pick in 2015, Gavrikov took the long road to NHL relevance. He broke into the league with Columbus in 2019-20 and quickly built a reputation as a dependable, stay-at-home defenseman.
His game matured during his time with the Kings, where he helped them reach the playoffs in three straight seasons. Last year, he added more offense to his resume, posting five goals and 25 assists across a full 82-game slate.
This season, he’s picked up right where he left off - and then some. With Adam Fox sidelined by injury, Gavrikov has logged heavy minutes and taken on added responsibilities.
He’s averaging a career-high 24 minutes per game, including a whopping 28:02 in a recent loss to San Jose. That’s top-pair workload, and he’s handling it with the kind of quiet consistency that coaches love.
Defensively, he’s been as advertised. Gavrikov uses his size and reach to close gaps, win puck battles, and make life miserable for opposing forwards.
He rarely gets caught out of position and is a key piece of the Rangers’ penalty kill. Offensively, he’s shown he can contribute as well - with eight goals and nine assists through 52 games.
Notably, he’s stepped into Fox’s role on the top power-play unit and scored the first two power-play goals of his career. That’s not just filling in - that’s stepping up.
Managing Gavrikov’s Minutes Is Crucial
But here’s the thing: while Gavrikov has been a rock, the Rangers need to be smart about how they use him. He’s 30 years old and in the first year of a seven-year deal.
Running him into the ground in a lost season doesn’t make much sense. He’s been logging massive minutes lately, and while his play is still strong, the cracks are starting to show - more defensive miscues, more signs of fatigue.
This is where the organization needs to think long-term. Gavrikov is a key piece of the puzzle moving forward - someone they’re counting on to anchor the blue line alongside Fox for years to come. Preserving his health and energy now could pay dividends down the road.
Time to Let the Kids Play
With the playoffs out of reach, this is the perfect window for the Rangers to evaluate their young talent. For years, they’ve leaned on veterans during playoff pushes, but now is the time to flip the script.
Defensemen like Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow need real NHL reps - not just spot duty. Morrow, in particular, deserves a look on the power play while Fox remains out.
And then there’s Carson Soucy. The veteran blueliner has had a solid year in a second-pair role, but with his contract expiring at season’s end, he’s a logical trade candidate ahead of the deadline. If the Rangers move him, it opens up even more opportunity for the young guns to step in and grow.
Building Toward a Stronger Future
The Rangers didn’t sign Gavrikov just to survive this season - they brought him in to be a foundational piece of their defense for the long haul. So far, he’s lived up to that billing.
But now, with the team out of the playoff picture, the focus has to shift. Let the kids play.
Protect your veterans. And make sure Gavrikov is still fresh and effective when the games start to matter again.
Because when Fox is healthy and Gavrikov is rested, the Rangers have the makings of a top-tier defensive duo. The kind that can carry a team deep into the postseason. But they won’t get there by burning out one of their best players in January.