2026 Rangers Season Previews: Vladislav Gavrikov

This article is part of an ongoing series of New York Rangers Season Previews, taking a close look at what we can, and should, expect from each member of the 2026-27 New York Rangers. To read other articles in this series, go here.

Vladislav Gavrikov came to the New York Rangers on a seven-year contract last offseason to serve as the lockdown defender next to Adam Fox on the first pairing. In year one he was just that, and stepped up in his partner's absence on a thin blueline. With the additions to the Rangers' defense core, Gavrikov will return to the role he was slotted to play coming over from the Los Angeles Kings with better reinforcements behind him.

Previous Performance

Gavrikov is coming off his best offensive season of his career, where he registered 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points. His 14 goals are more than double his previous season high and were quite the surprise compared to expectations. Gavrikov also saw far and away the most power play time of his career, where he came away with three goals and three assists. The 2025-26 season marked the first time in his career he recorded a point on the man advantage.

While defending at even strength this past season, Gavrikov recorded an xGA/60 of -0.004, per Evolving Hockey. That -0.004 is a solid number, but that does not tell the entire story.

Gavrikov spent substantial time playing with both Fox and Braden Schneider on the team's top pair. While playing with Fox at even strength, the two recorded an xGF/60 of 3.24 and an xGA/60 of 2.28, displaying their power as a strong top pairing. When playing with Schneider, these numbers took a hit, with the xGF/60 dropping to 2.13 and xGA/60 rising to 2.94. Fox and Schneider are on completely different levels as players. Gavrikov was brought in to provide a stable and effective partner for Fox, and he has been precisely that.

There are only a handful of defensemen wouldn't be elevated by playing with Fox, but Gavrikov was not being carried by the Norris Trophy defenseman. When paired with him, Fox recorded 0.96 points per game, the second best of his career, in large part not having to worry about bailing out his partner.

Expectations

Coming into last season, outside of the top pair of Gavrikov and Fox, the Rangers' blue line was extremely thin. That is no longer the case. The Rangers have a strong second pairing in Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi, along with adding top propspect Alberts Smits to the system.

Their offseason additions should allow Gavrikov to return to the lockdown defensive style of play he is known for. I believe that he will start the season on a pairing with Fox, but would not be surprised if head coach Mike Sullivan plays with the combinations.

Gavrikov will also be a staple on the Rangers' penalty kill unit. The Blueshirts' short-handed unit killed under 80 percent of penalties for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Gavrikov will play a huge role in helping them return to the top of the league in that metric.

Gavrikov recorded an xGA/60 of 0.99 killing penalties, the worst of his career. For the team to get back on track, he will have to play at the elite level he is capable of. During the 2024-25 season with the Kings, his xGA/60 while shorthanded was -0.313, the second best in the NHL.

Ideally, that should be the extent of his role on the Rangers special teams. Fox and Durzi will quarterback the team's power play units, and I'd rather have Pettersson or even Smits draw in if an injury occurs. Even without power play time, Gavrikov should still register solid numbers offensively, playing with Adam Fox and getting top-pair minutes.

Predictions

82 GP | 6 G | 25 A | 31 PTS

Gavrikov has played every game each of the past two seasons, and I'm willing to bet he does that again. Hitting 31 points would be the second-highest point total of his career, and even without power play time, it is realistic. If Fox remains healthy, he will continue to benefit from playing with one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. Even if that isn't the case, the Rangers' blue line depth is much stronger, hopefully meaning he won't be playing with Schneider.

As a defender, I do believe he will return to more of a defense-first mindset. Last year was good, and I think he looked better at times than the underlying stats showed defending. This season, Gavrikov is in the right circumstances to take it back to an elite level.

The Bottom Line

Including this upcoming season, Gavrikov is under contract for another six years. There have been rumors that he was unhappy and wanted to return to the Los Angeles Kings, which means another underwhelming season could push him to request a trade.

If this is the case by the deadline or the end of the season, Gavrikov is too good a player on a too good contract for general manager Chris Drury to just send him where he wants. If the Kings is all he wants, they don't have the assets for an adequate trade. Drury should hold onto him until he is willing to expand his no-movement clause or gets a fair offer.