#LAKings Vladislav Gavrikov fit in with the Kings, but will he be back? (Daily News)
Vladislav Gavrikov is a rare defensive defenseman with a signature goal celebration, where he presses his pinky to his lips and his thumb to his ear, making a call me gesture.
But when the Kings text him this offseason, will he answer with some smiley-face emojis or a cold new number, whos this?
Gavrikov was acquired along with goalie Joonas Korpisalo at the trade deadline in exchange for goalie Jonathan Quick, a first-round draft pick and a third-rounder, but all the players involved are eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1.
While the Kings are strapped for salary-cap space in a way that reflects their recent pair of competitive, playoff-qualifying seasons, Gavrikov has some endorsements. His defense partner Matt Roy, with whom he formed an elite shot-suppressing tandem, has sung his praises. The Kings longest-tenured defenseman, two-time Stanley Cup champion Drew Doughty, is inventing novel methods to extend the stay of his newest cohort on the blue line.
I dont know. Give him a million bucks of my contract? Doughty said with a smile. Im talking to him. Im trying to convince him. Its a pretty easy sell. We play in a great city here and we have great fans.
In a teleconference Thursday, Gavrikov responded to the latest in a series of overtures from his dressing-room neighbor, Doughty, who is also the Kings highest-paid player.
Hes just talking. Im still waiting for the check. It shouldnt be a problem for him, I guess, Gavrikov joked. Drew is awesome, the guys, not just defensemen, all my teammates were good. It was good to share the ice with them.
Now Gavrikov is waiting on a former Kings defenseman, General Manager Rob Blake, to get down to brass tacks. Blake expressed interest in re-signing Gavrikov but also acknowledged that it would likely be his most challenging endeavor in terms of the salary cap this offseason.
Well talk about it, Im pretty sure, right now well have more time to discuss. Well see what happens, Gavrikov said.
Gavrikov, like Korpisalo, had spent his entire career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who descended into a defensive abyss as departures and injuries converged to create calamity. Gavrikov got the opportunity to showcase his skills in an expanded role in Columbus, but produced considerably better results in his more familiar second-pairing role after the trade.
From the time of his acquisition through the point when the Kings were eliminated from the postseason, Gavrikov posted a team-topping plus-17 rating across 20 regular-season games and six playoff tilts. Offensively, it took him just 19 matches with the Kings to equal his goal total (three) from 52 contests with Columbus, and in Game 2 of a first-round series against Edmonton, he evened out his season points and assists totals between the Blue Jackets and Kings to boot.
Gavrikov was joined not only by his teammate Korpisalo but by his wife Anastasia and their daughter Miroslava, all of whom acclimated quickly.
Perfect, I would say. My family loves to be here. Off-ice is pretty much all good, Gavrikov said.
One minor bump in the road was the timing of when Gavrikov was informed he was traded: It was Anastasias birthday.
We changed our plans a little bit. We planned a dinner, the gifts, balloons and flowers were all over the place, but at some point we had to pack our stuff and leave, Gavrikov said. She will never forget it for sure, me neither. That was something new, but Im always taking that opportunity as an adventure.
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https://www.dailynews.com/2023/05/04...ll-he-be-back/
But when the Kings text him this offseason, will he answer with some smiley-face emojis or a cold new number, whos this?
Gavrikov was acquired along with goalie Joonas Korpisalo at the trade deadline in exchange for goalie Jonathan Quick, a first-round draft pick and a third-rounder, but all the players involved are eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1.
While the Kings are strapped for salary-cap space in a way that reflects their recent pair of competitive, playoff-qualifying seasons, Gavrikov has some endorsements. His defense partner Matt Roy, with whom he formed an elite shot-suppressing tandem, has sung his praises. The Kings longest-tenured defenseman, two-time Stanley Cup champion Drew Doughty, is inventing novel methods to extend the stay of his newest cohort on the blue line.
I dont know. Give him a million bucks of my contract? Doughty said with a smile. Im talking to him. Im trying to convince him. Its a pretty easy sell. We play in a great city here and we have great fans.
In a teleconference Thursday, Gavrikov responded to the latest in a series of overtures from his dressing-room neighbor, Doughty, who is also the Kings highest-paid player.
Hes just talking. Im still waiting for the check. It shouldnt be a problem for him, I guess, Gavrikov joked. Drew is awesome, the guys, not just defensemen, all my teammates were good. It was good to share the ice with them.
Now Gavrikov is waiting on a former Kings defenseman, General Manager Rob Blake, to get down to brass tacks. Blake expressed interest in re-signing Gavrikov but also acknowledged that it would likely be his most challenging endeavor in terms of the salary cap this offseason.
Well talk about it, Im pretty sure, right now well have more time to discuss. Well see what happens, Gavrikov said.
Gavrikov, like Korpisalo, had spent his entire career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who descended into a defensive abyss as departures and injuries converged to create calamity. Gavrikov got the opportunity to showcase his skills in an expanded role in Columbus, but produced considerably better results in his more familiar second-pairing role after the trade.
From the time of his acquisition through the point when the Kings were eliminated from the postseason, Gavrikov posted a team-topping plus-17 rating across 20 regular-season games and six playoff tilts. Offensively, it took him just 19 matches with the Kings to equal his goal total (three) from 52 contests with Columbus, and in Game 2 of a first-round series against Edmonton, he evened out his season points and assists totals between the Blue Jackets and Kings to boot.
Gavrikov was joined not only by his teammate Korpisalo but by his wife Anastasia and their daughter Miroslava, all of whom acclimated quickly.
Perfect, I would say. My family loves to be here. Off-ice is pretty much all good, Gavrikov said.
One minor bump in the road was the timing of when Gavrikov was informed he was traded: It was Anastasias birthday.
We changed our plans a little bit. We planned a dinner, the gifts, balloons and flowers were all over the place, but at some point we had to pack our stuff and leave, Gavrikov said. She will never forget it for sure, me neither. That was something new, but Im always taking that opportunity as an adventure.
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https://www.dailynews.com/2023/05/04...ll-he-be-back/