Vladislav Gavrikov Is The Most Important Piece Of The Rangers' Massive Defensive Reconstruction
The New York Rangers made a substantial financial commitment, giving defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov a seven-year, $49 million contract.
What led Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury to go all out for one of the most sought-after free agents of the offseason?
“It starts in our D-zone,” Drury said when explaining the Gavrikov signing. “We have to be better in our zone, we have to be better in front of (Igor Shesterkin) and (Jonathan Quick). To me, that’s the mindset he shows up with every single day.
“The size, the reach, the competitiveness, the way he defends and the way he is able to complement his partner, whether that’s Fox or any other of our right-shot D 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 D corps.”
The Rangers’ reconstruction of their defensive core didn’t start with Gavrikov.
Last season, the Blueshirts traded Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren, two mainstays on the team’s blueline.
Over the course of the 2024-25 season, the Rangers acquired Urho Vaakanainen, Will Borgen, and Carson Soucy.
To start the offseason, Drury decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Zac Jones and shipped off K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a sign-and-trade.
Gavrikov is sort of the missing link and the final trifecta to this defensive reconstruction. 
This past season, the Rangers’ biggest weakness was their defense as they gave up far too many defensive breakdowns and seemed to have a trend of committing costly turnovers.
The addition of Gavrikov gives the Rangers an anchor who could take some of the load from Adam Fox and maybe even be paired with the Norris Trophy winner.
Drury felt that Gavrikov could help turn one of the team’s biggest weaknesses into a strength, and time will only tell if he’s right.
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