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Vladislav Gavrikov

Snapshots: Demko, Islanders, Sabres

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The Vancouver Canucks are a big step closer to getting a notable piece back into their lineup. Patrick Johnston of The Province reported Tuesday that injured goalie Thatcher Demko returned to practice for the first time since he was injured making a save against the Florida Panthers on December 1, 2022.

While Demko’s long-term standing in the Canucks organization remains unknown, his return could provide benefits. If Vancouver does opt to keep their once-named “goalie of the future” after a horrid start to 2022-23, a return to the ice makes a return to form a possibility for Demko, which should come with added confidence. Even if a trade is in the cards, a hot streak between now and the deadline for Demko would likely boost his trade value, giving Vancouver more assets to work with as they retool for future seasons. Hopefully, for Demko and the Canucks, he can make his 3-10-2 start to the season a distant memory.

  • The New York Islanders have a distinct pattern of trading away first-round picks, and they did so again by dealing their top-12-protected 2023 pick to Vancouver in the Bo Horvat trade. It’s such a distinct pattern that Islanders fans have been wondering if the team can still trade their 2024 first-round pick, despite its potential transfer to the Canucks if New York ends up with a top-12 pick this season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports clarification from the NHL that says yes, they can. If their 2024 first-round pick is transferred to the Canucks after being traded in a second deal, though, the pick in the second trade would automatically slide to 2025. It’s something other general managers will keep in mind at this deadline if the Islanders deal their 2024 pick in an attempt to load up even more.
  • Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could look to reward his team’s strong performance this season with a trade deadline move, NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd and Mike Johnson said this morning. They called out the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential trade partner, with names like Boone Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov available. However, they stopped short of saying any discussions between the two parties actually occurred. With Gavrikov’s asking price rumored to be a first-round pick, however, it may be too early in Buffalo’s ascent to competitiveness for Adams to make such a major splash.

Snapshots: Gavrikov, Maurice, Joseph

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One of the names you will hear a lot as the trade deadline approaches is Vladislav Gavrikov, the Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman that is coming to the end of his three-year, $8.4MM deal. A pending free agent with a relatively low $2.8MM cap hit, he is one of the top rental defensemen on the market, given his size, mobility, and experience. Gavrikov had 33 points last season, and is still logging more than 22 minutes a night this year.

In an article by Arthur Staple of The Athletic, it is revealed that the New York Rangers are one of the teams to have called on Gavrikov. The ask from the Blue Jackets, reportedly, is a first-round pick plus a mid-round pick. Recent years have seen players like Ben Chiarot, and David Savard land first-rounders at the deadline, while Josh Manson was dealt for Drew Helleson and a second last deadline. The key to Gavrikov’s market is how inexpensive he will be. If the Blue Jackets retain half of his contract, the $1.4MM cap hit is easy to absorb for many of the league’s contenders.

  • Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has been fined $25,000 for his comments after Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Those comments were critical of the officials, with the veteran coach saying the referees “weren’t Florida Panther-friendly,” and pointing out a specific situation when Radko Gudas received a charging penalty. He also referenced an issue he has with one of the referees in particular. Today, when speaking to reporters including David Dwork of WPLG Local 10, Maurice said it would be “fiscally irresponsible” for him to answer any more questions about the officiating.
  • Mathieu Joseph missed a chance to play against his brother for the first time in their NHL careers because of a disciplinary scratch from Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith. Today, Joseph explained that he takes full responsibility for it and is excited to get back into the lineup on Friday. As Ian Mendes of The Athletic tweets, it appears as though whatever it was is behind both Joseph and Smith.

Snapshots: Hurricanes, Zohorna, Gavrikov, Lundestrom

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The Hurricanes have been a top team in the Metropolitan Division all season long and have recently welcomed back some key veterans in Max Pacioretty and Frederik Andersen in recent days.  Even with their current place atop the Metropolitan Division though, don’t expect them to be shopping at the top of the market before the March 3rd trade deadline.  GM Don Waddell told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that the team will be looking to add depth both on the back end and up front over the coming weeks.  Carolina has a little over $2.2MM in LTIR room per CapFriendly and unlike regular cap space, that doesn’t accrue by the day; they have that much to spend on full-season money now, on deadline day, or anytime in between.  Accordingly, they’re in a spot where they don’t have to wait until closer to the deadline for cap reasons so it’s possible that they’ll look to shop for an early bargain on the trade market.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The frequent shuffling of Radim Zohorna continues as the Flames have returned him to AHL Calgary, notes Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike (Twitter link). The moves are being made to save a little bit of cap space and extend his waiver exemption as long as possible.  The 26-year-old has played in eight games with the Flames so far this season with him needing waivers once he gets to ten so his exemption is likely to expire soon, assuming he’s eventually recalled once more.
  • The Blue Jackets could get defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov back in their lineup on Thursday against Carolina, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 27-year-old missed Tuesday’s game due to an upper-body injury.  The pending unrestricted free agent is likely to be one the more sought-after blueliners leading up to the trade deadline and has nine points and 70 blocked shots in 39 games so far this season while logging 22:29 per game, a career-high.
  • Ducks center Isac Lundestrom could be ready to rejoin the team on their next road trip which begins on Monday, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 23-year-old has been out for more than a month due to a fractured finger and while he was off to a quiet start to his season before the injury (six points in 24 games), getting a developing young player back can only be good for an Anaheim squad that will likely be looking to move out some veterans in the coming weeks.

Latest On Edmonton’s Search For Defense

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The Edmonton Oilers haven’t been able to stop many teams this season, allowing goals at an alarming pace for a club that started the year with plans to contend for the Stanley Cup. After three straight 4-3 losses, their search for defensemen has hit the hot stove once again. In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, the insider reports that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is on the Oilers’ radar.

Gavrikov, 27, is likely to draw interest from a number of teams as he continues to play solid (if unspectacular) defense for the Blue Jackets. The sixth-round pick has nine points in 32 games this season while averaging over 22 minutes a night, and brings a size/mobility combination that is very desirable for contenders at the deadline. Friedman even notes the prices of David Savard and Ben Chiarot in recent years as an indication of what it might cost to acquire Gavrikov.

In 2021, the Blue Jackets sent Savard to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a three-way deal that included the Detroit Red Wings, for the cost of a first, third, and fourth-round pick. The double salary retention involved dropped Savard’s cap hit to just over $1MM, allowing him to fit into the eventual Stanley Cup champions’ tight budget. Gavrikov, who currently carries a $2.8MM cap hit, could actually get even lower than that, if the same middle-man structure were to take place.

Chiarot landed a similar package from the Florida Panthers last year, as the Montreal Canadiens received first and fourth-round picks along with the rights to recent third-round prospect Ty Smilanic. The Canadiens retained half of Chiarot’s deal, taking his cap hit down to $1.75MM for the Panthers.

It should be noted that while Savard did win a Stanley Cup with the Lightning, neither one of these trades really worked out all that well for the acquiring team. Savard did very little on Tampa Bay’s run, dressing for 20 of the 23 games but averaging just over 14 minutes a night. Chiarot’s Panthers were swept in the second round while he was averaging just 17 minutes a night. Neither player re-signed with the acquiring teams.

Gavrikov, like Savard and Chiarot, is a pending unrestricted free agent that will likely be after a multi-year deal on the open market – one that should increase his cap hit significantly. Though he isn’t a star, he has shown the ability to play big minutes against top players and is a bargain at his current $2.8MM hit.

Snapshots: Soderholm, Maple Leafs, Chychrun

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One of the ongoing debates in the hockey world is when the NHL will start to broaden coaching searches outside of North America. The league has only really had two European head coaches in its history, and every summer there is talk about how someone like Rickard Gronborg could be an interesting candidate.

Well, take at least one name off the list for the time being, as Toni Soderholm has signed a contract to coach SC Bern in the Swiss National League until 2024. The 44-year-old Finn had been the head coach of the German national team for the last several years but used an out clause to terminate the deal and join Bern. Like most of the candidates that are brought up in this discussion, Soderholm has ties to North American hockey already, having played and even captained UMass.

  • While the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate their win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night, the rest of the hockey world seems to be focused on finding them a new defenseman. Another piece came out today, this time from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, detailing several candidates to replace Jake Muzzin. One name that is listed is Vladislav Gavrikov of the Columbus Blue Jackets, a name that has also been brought up by The Fourth Period in relation to the Maple Leafs. Toronto has some additional cap flexibility due to the injury to Jake Muzzin, which is keeping him out indefinitely and could end his career.
  • One of the names that is always brought up for defense-needy teams is Jakob Chychrun, and today he officially rejoined the Arizona Coyotes for practice. Speaking with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong once again implied that he will not drop the asking price for Chychrun, which – according to LeBrun – is a package including two first-round picks.

Blue Jackets Notes: Gavrikov, Bjorkstrand, Dubois

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have had quite the offseason. GM Jarmo Kekalainen landed the consensus top player available on the free agent market, Johnny Gaudreau, and locked his superstar sniper, Patrik Laine, into a four-year deal to stay in Columbus. With the signing of Erik Gudbranson also on the books, the Blue Jackets have been left in an unfamiliar position: without any salary cap room. The team does have Gustav Nyquist’s $5.5MM contract coming off the books next summer, and it looks like we may already have a good idea as to who a good chunk of those funds will be re-allocated to next summer. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, (subscription link) the Blue Jackets “would like to get” defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov “signed long-term” to an extension.

It’s easy to see why the Blue Jackets would want to retain Gavrikov, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Gavrikov was the clear number-two defenseman on the Blue Jackets, handling over 22 difficult minutes per night. Gavrikov was also a highly-trusted penalty killer, and he anchored the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill operation alongside Andrew Peeke. The 26-year-old Russian also took a step forward on the offensive side of the game, ending the season with a healthy 33 points despite playing barely any time on the team’s power play. Gavrikov is among the league’s most underrated all-around defensemen and his overall profile should see a boost once his (likely lucrative) next contract hits the books.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Blue Jackets:

  • While the Blue Jackets’ trade of Oliver Bjorkstrand wasn’t ideal for management, the player, or the Blue Jackets fans, it was necessary. Kekalainen said dealing Bjorkstrand to Seattle was “the best of the no-good options,” and today, Portzline shed some light as to why that was the case. With the flat cap driving the prices to dump contracts to sky-high levels, Portzline believes that if the Blue Jackets preferred to shed Nyquist’s contract, it likely could have cost a 2023 first-round pick or even a top prospect. If the Blue Jackets wanted to trade Jakub Voracek and his $8.25MM cap hit over two more seasons, Portzline believes it may have even cost both a first-rounder and a top prospect. So, with that reality in mind, Bjorkstrand being the departing player rather than Nyquist or Voracek makes a bit more sense.
  • One name Blue Jackets fans have moved on from is that of their 2016 third-overall pick, Pierre-Luc Dubois. The Blue Jackets sent him to Winnipeg in exchange for Laine and Jack Roslovic, and with Laine locked up long-term and Roslovic authoring productive seasons in Columbus, it seems both the fanbase and organization are satisfied with the deal. The one person who hasn’t been satisfied, seemingly, is Dubois, who has made his desire to play in Montreal no secret. According to Portzline, Dubois has “twice gone into a summer wanting” the Canadiens to submit an offer sheet for his services, and it seems that the Blue Jackets were even “tipped off” about the possibility of an offer sheet in 2020 when they dealt Markus Nutivaara and Ryan Murray for minimal returns in order to clear cap space. Dubois recently accepted a one-year qualifying offer, meaning the offer sheet possibility is now off the table, but with Dubois inching towards his own unrestricted free agency it’s definitely possible, if a bit unlikely, that he ends up in Montreal this summer.

Boqvist, Gavrikov Added To COVID Protocol

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are down a pair of defensemen, as both Adam Boqvist and Vladislav Gavrikov have been added to the COVID protocol. The release notes that Boqvist actually entered the protocol yesterday, meaning his timer will be slightly ahead of his teammate.

Boqvist, 21, is having a nice season for the Blue Jackets, scoring seven goals and 14 points through 26 games. The young defender played more than 20 forgettable minutes on Saturday against the Florida Panthers though, as the team was blown out by the Eastern Conference powerhouse. Unfortunately, that’ll be the last action he sees for a few days as he faces a minimum of a five-day isolation period.

Gavrikov meanwhile played 18:35 on Saturday, which is actually close to a season-low for the 26-year-old defenseman. Usually playing more than 21 minutes a night, he too is having a strong offensive season for Columbus with 17 points in 36 games. That solid point total has been backed up by some analytical success too, as Gavrikov is given the hardest defensive deployment on the Blue Jackets roster but remains almost even in terms of goals for and against.

With both out, the Blue Jackets have elevated Gavin Bayreuther to the second pair with Jake Bean and will insert Gabriel Carlsson back into the lineup. The team already had Cole Sillinger and Jakub Voracek in the protocol, but should get the latter back at least if he can test out in the coming days. Columbus doesn’t play again until Thursday.

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Vladislav Gavrikov

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have inked one of their two key restricted free agents, signing Vladislav Gavrikov to a three-year contract worth a total of $8.4MM ($2.8MM AAV). Gavrikov was an RFA but did not have arbitration rights and could not be signed to an offer sheet. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen released this statement on the deal:

Vladimir Gavrikov was everything we hoped he would be during his rookie season last year, establishing himself as a top four defenseman in the National Hockey League. He is still a young player that we expect will get better every year and continue to be an important part of our blueline.

A sixth-round pick from 2015, Gavrikov took his time before finally coming over to North America in 2019, but when he did he was an instant success. The 24-year-old defenseman has quickly become a top option for the Blue Jackets, scoring 18 points in 69 games this season while logging 19 minutes a night. Now that the team has moved on from Ryan Murray those should increase even further, but he’ll still be at a very reasonable price tag.

Gavrikov had little leverage in negotiations with the Blue Jackets, other than perhaps threatening to return to the KHL. Notably, the three-year term that he worked out will take him directly to unrestricted free agency at age-27, the best chance for him to maximize his value at this point.

For Columbus though, the third year is incredibly important. In the summer of 2022, they will need to work out new contracts for both Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, with the former actually being scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Having Gavrikov locked in for just $2.8MM when extensions kick in for both of their top defensemen will be key in keeping their financial situation in order.

It also will give them some security if David Savard, currently their trusty third option, leaves as a UFA after this upcoming season. Savard, 30, will carry a $4.25MM cap hit this year but should command a raise on the open market after so many years of steady play.

Now, the Blue Jackets can focus all of their attention on Pierre-Luc Dubois, the final RFA to sign and arguably their most important forward. Dubois will command a huge raise, but Kekalainen has been clear that he will not rush into a deal that doesn’t make sense for his team. Dubois could potentially sign an offer sheet, but with such little cap space left around the league that seems extremely unlikely at this point.

Columbus Blue Jackets Issue Qualifying Offers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced which restricted free agents will receive qualifying offers, with few surprises. Josh Anderson, Gabriel Carlsson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Vladislav Gavrikov, Matiss Kivlenieks, Ryan MacInnis, Kevin Stenlund and Calvin Thurkauf have all received qualifying offers from the team and will remain in the organization.

That means Devin Shore, Maxime Fortier, Justin Scott, Paul Bittner, Michael Prapavessis and Ryan Collins did not, making them unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The only real surprise is Shore, and only because the Blue Jackets acquired him this season in exchange for Sonny Milano. The 26-year-old Shore has not been particularly effective since the 2017-18 campaign, splitting the last two seasons between three teams and recording just 12 points in 2019-20. Add in the fact that he was due a $2.4MM qualifying offer in order to remain with the Blue Jackets and it’s not hard to see why the team decided to cut bait.

Still, Shore could represent a cheap depth signing for a team this offseason if they think he can be of use to a bottom-six. The 26-year-old forward has experience at center and on the wing and has scored double-digit goals in three different seasons.

Bittner and Collins may also bring a twinge of disappointment to Blue Jackets fans, given they were both second-round selections that never seemed to pan out. Bittner especially was hyped coming off a successful junior career but failed to score much in the AHL. Collins, the 47th pick in 2014, never added any offense to his defensive game and could only rely on his size for so long.

Blue Jackets Working On Long-Term Extension With Vladislav Gavrikov

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Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has been under contract for less than a year now but because he burned the first year of his entry-level pact in the playoffs last season, he will be in need of a new deal this summer.  Talks on a new contract have begun, reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required), who adds that the focus is on getting a long-term deal done.

The 24-year-old has been a key part of the back end for Columbus this season, logging just shy of 19 minutes a night while chipping in with five goals and 13 assists.  While those don’t jump off the charts at first glance, he has been able to provide a steady performance on a team that has been hit hard by the injury bug this year; his 69 games played leads all Blue Jackets defensemen.

Gavrikov will be owed a qualifying offer of just over $874K, a five percent bump on his salary this season which excludes his signing bonus.  Although he is in line to qualify to earn half of his $850K in Schedule ‘A’ bonuses, those aren’t factored into the required offer.

It’s worth noting that while Gavrikov’s deal will be up, he won’t be a typical restricted free agent.  Because of a lack of professional experience, he’s classified as a 10.2 (c) player in the CBA which means he is unable to be offer-sheeted and does not have any eligibility for salary arbitration.

It’s not surprising that Columbus wants to work out a long-term deal with Gavrikov.  He’s someone that they waited for basically four years to come over after being drafted and there is minimal stability on their back end in terms of current players under contract.  No one is signed past 2021-22 while veterans Ryan Murray and David Savard are eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2021 so there is some potential for a lot of turnover in the next little while.  Getting Gavrikov signed up for the foreseeable future would at least lock one important part of their back end in place.

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