Latest news with #VladislavGavrikov
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rangers GM makes ‘thrilled' admission on Vladislav Gavrikov signing
The post Rangers GM makes 'thrilled' admission on Vladislav Gavrikov signing appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Rangers pulled the trigger on an intriguing free agency signing earlier this week as Vladislav Gavrikov is joining the team. Gavrikov has been in the NHL since 2019, and he has played for two teams so far. He has gone back and forth with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings, but he is now is joining the Rangers. Gavrikov started his career with the Blue Jackets before joining the Kings, then he went back to the Blue Jackets, and then back to the Kings. Advertisement Rangers GM Chris Drury wanted to address the team's defensive issues in NHL Free Agency, and that is exactly what he is doing by signing Gavrikov. He is happy to have him in New York. 'That's the mindset he shows up with every single day,' Drury said, according to an article from 'The size, the reach, the competitiveness, the way he defends, the way he's able to complement his partner whether that's (Adam) Fox or any other right-shot (defenseman) that we have. That's what excited all of us in targeting this player. Thrilled to be able to have him as a key part of that (defense) corps.' Issues defensively are what the Rangers are trying to fix, and Gavrikov should be able to help fix the problems. 'To me it starts in our (own) zone,' Drury said. '(Defensive)-zone coverage. Defending, certainly defending in the high-danger areas, which we simply put were not good at last year. … We have to be better in our zone. We have to be better in front of Shesty (Igor Shesterkin) and Quickie (Jonathan Quick).' Advertisement The Rangers knew what they needed to address, and they wasted no time going out and finding a solution. Vladislav Gavrikov has had a very successful NHL career, and he should be a valuable addition to this New York team. Related: Rangers steal former 20-goal scorer from Capitals in free agency Related: Rangers ink key RFA forward to $7.8M deal
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Submit your Rangers offseason questions
The New York Rangers have (likely) made their most significant moves of the offseason, signing defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and trading K'Andre Miller on the first day of free agency. What do you want to know about where they stand? Submit your questions here for Peter Baugh, and he will answer them in an upcoming Rangers mailbag. Peter Baugh July 10, 2025 12:00 pm EDT
New York Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Inside the Rangers' big July 1 moves: How they pulled off signing Gavrikov, dealing Miller
NEW YORK — Noise and the New York Rangers seem to go together. It was a constant throughout their tumultuous 2024-25 season, so naturally it continued into the summer. Executives around the league wondered what would come next for the team that tumbled from the 2023-24 Presidents' Trophy champions to out of the playoffs. Advertisement President and general manager Chris Drury did not hesitate to make changes. First he fired coach Peter Laviolette early in the offseason, then hired Mike Sullivan in the hopes that the two-time Stanley Cup champion can bring stability behind the bench. In June, Drury traded away Chris Kreider, the Rangers' longest-tenured player and a link to the 2014 Eastern Conference championship team. The offseason bustle culminated on July 1, the first day of NHL free agency, with a pair of big splashes from Drury: signing Vladislav Gavrikov, arguably the best defenseman on the open market, and subsequently trading K'Andre Miller to the division rival Hurricanes. The result is a projected lineup that looks almost exactly the same as it did when the 2024-25 season ended. But the switch of blueliners — signing a more established one and shipping out a younger one — signaled to opponents that the Rangers intend on returning to contention sooner rather than later. Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin will all be at least 32 years old by the time next season starts in October, and Drury seems set on maximizing the team's ceiling while they are still capable players. The day Drury signed Gavrikov and moved on from Miller could end up being one of the more consequential ones in his tenure. Here's how it all went down. The potential marriage of Gavrikov and the Rangers was one of the NHL's worst-kept secrets. Reports linking the team and player swirled in the week leading up to free agency, and other clubs around the league began assuming a deal would eventually get done on July 1. Indeed, Gavrikov, who started his career in Columbus before going to the Kings at the 2023 deadline, viewed New York as an ideal destination from early in the offseason until he eventually signed July 1, according to a league source. He and Panarin were teammates for Russia at the 2017 world championships, and then again when Gavrikov joined the Blue Jackets for the 2019 playoffs. The two are friends, and Panarin answered questions about playing in New York for Gavrikov before he agreed to a contract, according to a league source. Advertisement Drury, meanwhile, was shopping for a left-shot defenseman after deciding not to commit long-term to Ryan Lindgren, whom he traded to Colorado at the March trade deadline. The Rangers' front office made a wish list early in the offseason, and Gavrikov encapsulated what they were looking for after a defensively porous season: The 29-year-old was one of league's best shutdown defensemen with the Kings in 2024-25. The Rangers' front office has liked Gavrikov's game dating back to his Columbus days, Drury later explained on July 2. The Blue Jackets shopped him at the 2023 trade deadline, but New York did not have the salary cap space to pursue him. Two years later, the Rangers got another chance, this time with the flexibility they needed. Gavrikov wasn't opposed to rejoining the Kings, but they weren't his top choice. Along with the Rangers, he was also interested in the Panthers, according to a league source. Going to Florida would not have worked from a salary cap perspective, though, especially after the repeat Stanley Cup champions re-signed defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The Kings negotiated with Gavrikov's camp through June 30 but could not reach a deal. General manager Ken Holland pivoted to other defensemen on the market, signing Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci when free agency opened. 'We were involved in negotiations (with Gavrikov) since I got here,' said Holland, who took over as Kings' general manager in May. 'Ultimately we couldn't find, obviously, anything that worked for both sides.' Forty-nine minutes after free agency opened July 1, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Gavrikov and the Rangers had reached a seven-year contract with a $7 million average annual value. Gavrikov could have made more from other teams, including some playoff clubs, according to a league source. Ivan Provorov, perhaps the most comparable free-agent defenseman to Gavrikov, got a seven-year, $8.5 million AAV contract to stay in Columbus. Advertisement With Gavrikov likely sacrificing on AAV, the Rangers frontloaded his contract: He gets an $8 million signing bonus each of the first two years of the deal on top of a $1 million annual base salary, so he will get $18 million of his $49 million total by July 1, 2027. For comparison, that's slightly more than Provorov ($17.5 million) in the first two years. The signing also had a domino effect on New York's roster. Drury had no interest in saying goodbye to restricted free agent Will Cuylle, who is coming off a promising 45-point season as a second-year player. That left a 25-year-old defenseman who skates well, can average nearly 22 minutes a night and can contribute offense as the odd man out. Like many young players at his position, K'Andre Miller struggled at points with consistency over his Rangers tenure. But while New York was not ready to commit to the restricted free agent with a long-term deal, Carolina was — and it knew New York was exploring trades for him in the months leading up to free agency. According to a league source, talks between the Hurricanes and Rangers picked up steam in the week leading up to the July 1 move. 'We'd been working on it for a while,' Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky told reporters in Raleigh that day. Multiple clubs had expressed interest in Miller, and the Rangers were in touch with his camp about teams with whom he'd want to play, according to a league source. Teams can also speak directly with restricted free agents starting at 7:01 p.m. Eastern Time on June 30, so Carolina was able to gauge his interest ahead of Noon on July 1, when free agents are allowed to start signing deals. The Hurricanes knowing they'd have a chance to extend Miller long-term potentially impacted how much they were willing to give up to acquire him. Sitting in Tulsky's office July 1, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour told the room of staffers that Miller reminded him of former Carolina defenseman Brady Skjei, as shown in a video the Hurricanes posted on social media. Brind'Amour cited Miller's ability to skate and join the rush while making the Skjei comparison. Tulsky did not want to subtract a sizable piece from a Hurricanes team that reached the Eastern Conference final this season, so he gave up a 2025 first-round pick (the best of Carolina's or Dallas', assuming neither is in the lottery), a 2025 second-round pick and defenseman Scott Morrow to get Miller. As part of the deal, Miller signed an eight-year, $7.5 million-AAV extension. Advertisement 'The way you skate and close out is just going to fit the way we play,' Tulsky told the defenseman on the phone after acquiring him. Ian Pulver, Miller's agent, credited Drury for how the GM handled the situation. Speaking on the PuckPedia Hockey Show, he said the Rangers' general manager 'was completely aboveboard the whole time with the Miller situation and very professional.' Though there's risk with trading a promising young player in-division, the Rangers were happy with the trade. New York wanted Gavrikov more than Miller, and the deal with Carolina ended any threat of a team presenting Miller or Cuylle with an offer sheet. Drury knew that might've been possible otherwise, saying 'it's within the rules, so it's certainly not something you can ignore.' Had the Hurricanes signed Miller to an offer sheet with the same $7.5 million AAV as they ended up paying for an extension, they would have been forced to give first-, second- and third-round picks to the Rangers. By getting two picks and Morrow, a 22-year-old prospect, the Rangers believe they surpassed the value they would have gotten as offer sheet compensation. 'We just felt at this time it was best to allow him to explore another opportunity,' Drury said. 'Another piece, obviously, is salary cap space and ice time and roster space, and we felt comfortable with being able to move him in a trade and essentially replace some of his ice in the free-agent market (with Gavrikov).' With Gavrikov signed and Miller traded away, the Rangers had the space to sign Cuylle to a two-year, $3.9 million AAV deal, ending any speculation he'd receive an offer sheet. They also added bottom-six winger Taylor Raddysh. After one day of free agency, Drury had accomplished most of his offseason business. His two biggest transactions — signing a top-pair defenseman and trading a potential one away — made that possible. Advertisement Sullivan could potentially pair Gavrikov with Adam Fox, a former Norris Trophy winner. With Gavrikov's defensive acumen and Fox's playmaking ability, the duo would likely immediately become one of the best pairings in the league. Sullivan could also choose to split them up, perhaps by using Gavrikov with Will Borgen to make a shutdown pairing that could go against other teams' top lines. Gavrikov can also play on the right side, so he has positional versatility. If he can replicate his most recent season, he'll provide an upgrade from how Miller played in 2024-25. Cuylle, 23, will have a chance to continue improving. He was one of the Rangers' bright spots in a difficult 2024-25, and his role could continue to grow as he ages. Raddysh will likely play on the third line. The 27-year-old has some offensive touch, having scored 20 goals on a bottom-feeder Chicago team in 2022-23, but has also shown he can contribute to a good team. He played 80 games last season for the Capitals, who had the best record in the East last year, then seven of the team's 10 playoff contests. Washington used him primarily on the fourth line. 'Not flashy but doesn't make a ton of mistakes,' said one scout who frequently saw Raddysh play with Washington. The changes don't solve all the problems on the roster. New York's bottom-six forward group remains shaky, and none of the defensemen aside from Fox and Gavrikov have ever averaged more than 18 minutes a game in a season. Still, Drury certainly improved the roster July 1. And with Gavrikov and January trade addition J.T. Miller in the fold, he's continued to put his stamp on it as his own. (Photos: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images and Jared Silber / NHLI via Getty Images)
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why bounce back from Rangers top line key to playoff hopes next season
By nearly all accounts, New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury did an outstanding job on the first day of free agency, landing the team's top target and one of the best available players on the market. Though big-ticket signing and top-pair defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov seems sure to be a huge part of any Rangers resurgence, a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next season likely hinges on the three holdovers finding their magic together again. Advertisement The Rangers were largely powered to the Presidents' Trophy in 2023-24 by Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere, who formed one of the most productive forward-line combinations in the NHL. Panarin's career-best 120-point season was the linchpin for a group that piled up 254 points, the dynamic partnership covering up for a conspicuous lack of scoring depth throughout the rest of the lineup. The Blueshirts set franchise records with 114 points and 55 wins, mostly on the strength of that production, and typically stellar goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. It was then no coincidence that the Rangers fortunes nosedived in 2024-25, when that line failed to come close to their production from the previous season. Panarin, Trocheck and Lafreniere were hardly the only Rangers to trend downward in a nightmarish season that saw them miss the playoffs after reaching the 2024 Eastern Conference Final. Their slide, however, was perhaps the most noticeable, given the heights they achieved the previous season. Related: Rangers GM addresses flurry of roster changes: 'big piece of it was salary cap' Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck have much to prove with Rangers Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The most alarming falloff came from Lafreniere, who after what seemed like a breakout 57-point effort in 2023-24, started fast last season and received a seven-year, $52 million contract extension in late October. For the time being at least, that looks like an iffy decision for the Rangers. Old questions about fitness, commitment and attention to detail resurfaced for much of the rest of the season after Lafreniere signed the deal. Advertisement Though his underlying metrics were far from terrible, Lafreniere was often invisible in the offensive zone and far too noticeable defensively for the wrong reasons, appearing either unable or unwilling to backcheck and defend over and over again. He finished last season with 17 goals and 45 points, a significant step backward for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has much to prove next season. No one expected Panarin to duplicate his career performance of 2023-24, and he managed to maintain his career pace of better than point-per-game production, with 89 in 80 contests. Yet like so many of his teammates, Panarin's impact seemed muted when compared to the previous season, and his defensive deficiencies were also difficult to miss. The 33-year-old was a minus-9 for the season – the first time in his brilliant 10-year career that he wasn't a plus player, no matter how flawed that statistic is. Adding to Panarin's woes was a late-season report that he was accused of sexual assault by a team employee, with the NHL confirming its investigation of the matter. Panarin and Madison Square Garden Sports made settlement payments to the woman. It was another unseemly note to an overall sour season for the Rangers. Trocheck was still a demon in the face-off circle, winning 59.3 percent of his draws, but dropped from a career-best 77 points in 2023-24 to 59 last season. Advertisement It's likely that for the Rangers to get back to the postseason, each must more closely resemble the 2023-24 versions of themselves. Lafreniere is at a crossroads after he seemed to have put a halting start to his career behind him in 2023-24. Panarin, the best free-agent signing in team history, was already under scrutiny from the fan base due to his so-so playoff performances. There has been no buzz from the organization so far about an extension for Panarin, who became eligible for one July 1 and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer when his mammoth seven-year, $81.5 deal expires. Trocheck must show that the final four seasons of his seven-year, $39 million contract aren't going to age poorly, and that he can still be the edgy, effective top-six center he's been in prior years. Like so many of his teammates, the 32-year-old will try to show that last season was an anomaly which can be put in the past with a return to 2023-24 form. Related: Rangers transformation continues with K'Andre Miller trade to Hurricanes: 3 key takeaways Mike Sullivan must decide whether to keep top Rangers line intact Danny Wild-Imagn Images New Rangers coach Mike Sullivan has an interesting decision to make. The easy option is to keep Panarin, Trocheck and Lafreniere together, and count on them to drive production offensively, assuming a return to form by each. Advertisement Of course, he could shake things up, especially if he's got an inkling to fill the void at 3C with Trocheck and leave Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller to center the top two lines. No matter the line combinations, Lafreniere, Panarin and Trocheck should be plenty motivated to rebound this season. Lafreniere's dip in production after he signed a lucrative contract was a bad look, and he's sure to draw the ire of fans and the front office if results next season resembles those of 2024-25. With his Rangers future in doubt, Panarin will be looking to put himself in position to earn another big contract – be it from his current team or on the open market. Trocheck wants to reestablish his standing as one of the top producers on the Rangers, especially in light of his growing role as one of the leaders of the team and possibly its next captain. Advertisement Knowing how motivated this trio is, and factoring in what they've accomplished together in rthe recent past, it makes all the sense for Sullivan to keep this line together and at least start the season with them as the go-to top unit. If Sullivan gives them another go at it, he could be handsomely rewarded with a playoff berth – just as his predecessor Peter Laviolette was when he leaned on that line two years ago. 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Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cap Crunch Threatens Rangers' Pursuit of LA Kings Pending Free Agent
Cap Crunch Threatens Rangers' Pursuit of LA Kings Pending Free Agent originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With the July 1 free agency window approaching, speculation continues to ramp up around Vladislav Gavrikov's next destination and a potential move to the New York Rangers. Advertisement The Rangers, who have retooled their roster aggressively this offseason by moving the longest-tenured player in the franchise, Chris Kreider, to the Anaheim Ducks, are widely reported to be a top contender for the pending free-agent defenseman. Gavrikov is coming off a strong season with the Kings, posting 30 points and a +26 rating over 82 games while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time. His two-way play and physical presence would address a key Rangers weakness, especially after the team fell short of the playoffs last season following their Presidents' Trophy campaign two years ago. The Athletic's Arthur Staple first connected the Rangers to Gavrikov, reporting that general manager Chris Drury could make a push if he clears enough cap room. Advertisement "#NYR among a handful of teams (BUF, UTA, SEA) looking to shake up their roster soon," Staple posted on X. "(Goaltender Igor) Shesterkin, (defenseman Adam) Fox, and (forward Artemi) Panarin may be the only untouchables in trade talk. "Keep an eye on Vladislav Gavrikov and #NYR if Chris Drury can free up space." Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman added that Gavrikov's list of preferred destinations is limited, and the Rangers are believed to be on it. 'Among left shots, Vladislav Gavrikov is not believed to have a long list of places he wants to go if he leaves Los Angeles, which is why so many are pointing to the Rangers,' Friedman reported. Advertisement Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (84) in a game against the New York J. Downing-Imagn Images Cap space remains the main hurdle for the Rangers to solve before making a run at Gavrikov. Daily Faceoff projects the defenseman to land a seven-year, $53.2 million contract with a cap hit of $7.6 million. As things stand, the Rangers have just under $12.2 million in cap space with three forwards and three defensemen set to enter free agency on July 1. The strongest path to signing Gavrikov may hinge on trading K'Andre Miller, with the young blueliner a restricted free agent this offseason. Related: Connor Bedard Breaks Silence on Skipping Chance to Play with Sidney Crosby This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
