Star defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has signed a seven year contract with the New York Rangers that will pay him $7 million annually. Gavrikov's signing in New York means that the Red Wings have missed out on another impact defenseman in the open market.
Vladislav Gavrikov has signed a 7-year, $7M AAV contract with the Rangers, per @PierreVLeBrun pic.twitter.com/snKrYDM6mL
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 1, 2025
Gavrikov is a top-pairing shut-down defenseman who garnered a lot of attention in the weeks leading up to free agency. He isn't going to light up the score sheet, but he's one of those defensemen who does everything right. His attention to detail, active stick, and big frame have made him a rock-solid presence on the blue line.
Relationship with McLellan gave Red Wings fans hope, but Gavrikov heads elsewhere
Gavrikov was drafted 159th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in 2019, and was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2023. He played the better part of two seasons under current Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, which made fans hopeful that Detroit would bring him in.
This past season, Gavrikov scored five goals and collected 25 assists for 30 points, which was the second-highest point total of his career. Perhaps more importantly, his dominating defensive play was a big reason why the Kings ended the 2024-25 season with the second-best defense in the league in terms of goals per game allowed (2.48). Gavrikov posted a rating of plus-26, and blocked a career-high 140 shots while dishing out 50 hits.
Gavrikov will be heading into his age-30 season in 2025-26, and he is as durable as they come. He played in all 82 games this past season and averaged more than 23 minutes of ice time per game. Nothing comes easy for opponents when he is on the ice, and he figures to be a problem to play against in the coming years.
How missing out on Gavrikov (and other defenseman) impacts Detroit's offseason plans
The NHL free agency window is still young, but missing out on high-end defensemen such as Gavrikov, Aaron Ekblad, and K'Andre Miller could be seen as missed opportunities. Ekblad is staying in Florida, and Miller is headed to Carolina. Rumors were circulating that Miller was headed to Detroit, but about an hour into free agency, the Rangers sent him to the Hurricanes.
Detroit did bring in Jacob Bernard-Docker to help out as a bottom-pairing defenseman, and while Red Wings fans shouldn't underestimate him, he has limited NHL experience heading into 2025-26.
Where Steve Yzerman goes from here will be interesting to watch. Red Wings fans were hoping for a solid addition to the blue line, and while it could very well still happen, missing out on Gavrikov stings a little bit - especially since he played under McLellan just a few years ago.
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