Vladislav Gavrikov arrived in New York last offseason on a seven-year deal with a clear job description: be the steady, shutdown presence next to Adam Fox on the Rangers’ top pair. In his first year with the club, that is exactly what he became, and he also had to shoulder extra responsibility when Fox was out and the blue line got stretched thin. Now, with more help around him, Gavrikov should be able to settle back into the role he was originally brought in to play.
The numbers from last season show a player who delivered far more than expected offensively, even if his game is still built around defense. Gavrikov finished with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points, easily the most productive scoring season of his career.
The 14 goals were more than twice his previous high and came as a real surprise. He also logged the most power-play time of his career, producing three goals and three assists there.
For the first time in his career, he scored on the man advantage.
At five-on-five, Gavrikov posted an xGA/60 of -0.004, according to Evolving Hockey. That is a strong figure, but it does not fully capture how often he was asked to adapt to different partners and different responsibilities.
Much of his time came alongside Fox or Braden Schneider on the Rangers’ top pair, and the split tells the story. With Fox, the pair produced an xGF/60 of 3.24 and an xGA/60 of 2.28.
With Schneider, those numbers dipped to 2.13 and 2.94. The gap between Fox and Schneider is obvious, but Gavrikov still did the job the Rangers needed him to do: provide stability for Fox.
That matters because Fox is not the kind of defenseman who needs rescuing. Gavrikov was not simply riding shotgun with a Norris Trophy-caliber player. When he was paired with Fox, Fox put up 0.96 points per game, the second-best mark of his career, and part of that came from not having to spend so much energy covering for his partner.
The context around Gavrikov should be better this season. A year ago, the Rangers had very little behind their top pair.
That is no longer true. Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi give the team a strong second pairing, and top prospect Alberts Smits has also been added to the system.
That depth should let Gavrikov return to the more familiar lockdown style that made him such a valuable pickup in the first place.
He should begin the season with Fox, though head coach Mike Sullivan could mix and match the combinations. Either way, Gavrikov remains a key penalty-kill piece. The Rangers’ short-handed unit finished below 80 percent for the first time since the 2019-20 season, and Gavrikov is going to be central to getting that number back where the team wants it.
His shorthanded results last season were not at his usual level. Gavrikov posted an xGA/60 of 0.99 on the penalty kill, the worst of his career.
That stands in sharp contrast to his 2024-25 season with the Kings, when his shorthanded xGA/60 was -0.313, the second-best mark in the NHL. If the Rangers are going to rebound in that area, they need the version of Gavrikov that can defend at that elite level.
What they do not need is more power-play work from him. Fox and Durzi will run those units, and Pettersson or even Smits would make more sense if injury forces a change. Even without power-play minutes, Gavrikov should still chip in enough offensively just by playing with Fox and logging top-pair minutes.
The projection here is 82 games, 6 goals, 25 assists and 31 points. He has played every game in each of the past two seasons, and there is reason to think he can do it again.
Thirty-one points would be the second-highest total of his career, and that feels realistic even without any power-play role. If Fox stays healthy, Gavrikov should keep benefiting from one of the best offensive defensemen in the league.
If not, the Rangers’ added depth at least makes it less likely he ends up spending too much time beside Schneider.
The bigger picture is simple enough: Gavrikov is under contract for six more years after this season, and there have been rumors that he was unhappy and wanted to return to the Los Angeles Kings. Another disappointing year could lead to trade noise.
But if that happens, general manager Chris Drury should not be in a rush to move him. Gavrikov is too good, and his contract is too valuable, to just send him where he wants.
If the Kings are the only destination he prefers, they do not have the assets for the kind of return that should make sense. Drury should wait until Gavrikov is willing to expand his no-movement clause or until a fair offer shows up.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Have A Backup Goalie Battle That Really Matters
Among the additions the Rangers brought in this offseason, the one that could quietly shape the early part of the season is in goal. Joonas Korpisalo came over in the trade with Boston, joining a group of newcomers that also included defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson and forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Eeli Tolvanen, and he now steps into the picture behind Igor Shesterkin with a real chance to matter.
The battle for the backup job is expected to come down to Korpisalo and rookie Dylan Garand, with preseason offering both a chance to make their case. Garands late-season NHL look last year showed the Rangers there is some upside there, while Korpisalo arrives as a more established option, which makes this one of those seemingly small competitions that could end up carrying real weight once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
National NHL Voice Is Buying The Rangers For A Big Bounce Back
The Rangers are heading into another fall with plenty of questions, but there was at least some encouragement floating around a recent NHL discussion among a familiar trio of former players. Paul Bissonnette sounded bullish on New Yorks chances of taking a step forward in 2026-27, pointing to the power play as one area that could help drive a turnaround, while co-hosts Ryan Whitney and Keith Yandle also noted the teams youth movement and the possibility of improvement.
J.T. Millers recent media appearance came up as part of that broader optimism, the kind of small off-ice ripple that can sometimes fuel a bigger on-ice conversation around a talented roster. The debate, though, made clear that belief in a playoff return is not universal yet, and the Rangers will start giving everyone a better sense of their outlook when preseason opens on Sept. 21 before the regular season follows on Sept. 29. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Blue Line Spending Signals A Changing Of The Guard
A new defense market keeps pushing the bar higher, and Cale Makars eight-year deal at an average annual value of $20.4 million only underlined how expensive elite blueliners have become. For the Rangers, the bigger takeaway is how much of their future payroll is already tied up on the back end, a reminder that the teams blue line has become one of the costliest parts of the roster as clubs sort out where to spend in a cap era that keeps forcing hard choices.
That spending picture matters because it is not just about star power, but about how the Rangers have reshaped the group around the edges and through separate moves. Additions such as Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson fit into a broader recalibration of the defense corps, while other cap hits have been shifted out in the process, leaving the Rangers squarely in the conversation as one of the NHLs most expensive blue lines heading into 2026-27. [Read more 🡒]