Number:44
Age:24
Birth date: Nov. 21, 1995
Birthplace: Yaroslavl, Russia
Height, weight:6-3, 213
Stats:69 GP, 5-13-18, 4.3 point shares, 52.49 xGF% at 5-on-5
Contract:RFA this offseason (ineligible for offer sheet)
It's hard to imagine the Columbus Blue Jackets without Vladislav Gavrikov, isn't it?
The smiles, the quips, the solid play in the defensive zone, the post-goal phone calls - it feels like Gavrikov has been around for a while, yet this was his first season in union blue.
Yet Gavrikov somehow feels like an old sweater, someone who immediately became comfortable in the Blue Jackets locker room and as part of the team's defensive rotation on a shutdown pairing with David Savard. The Russian blueliner looks like a key piece to build around for years to come, as he boasts some offensive upside to go with a solid and responsible game in his defensive end.
His prowess defensively led to one of John Tortorella's best quotes of the season, as he likened Gavrikov to a certain eight-limbed mollusk for his ability to neutralize opponents.
"If he gets his tentacles (on you), he's like an octopus," Tortorella said. "If he gets you, it's tough to get away from him. He's all arms and he's strong and he's ugly as sin at times, but he doesn't get beat.
"You know, the definition for him for me is he's a hockey player. I think that's the way he acts. I think there's no frills. At times he's ugly, but I think he just finds a way to be effective all the time."
While his game wasn't always the prettiest, Gavrikov made up for it off the ice with a sly sense of humor, always joking with teammates and hamming it up for the cameras when the opportunity arose. His infectious smile and signature goal celebration almost immediately made him a fan favorite, and it's easy to see how he could be a big part of the team's future.
Entering the season: Gavrikov got a two-game cameo on the team's blue line in Games 5 and 6 of last year's second round series vs. Boston, as he got on the ice as the CBJ's injuries piled up after he made the trip to North America at the conclusion of SKA St. Petersburg's season. Looking at his resume - which included an Olympic gold medal in 2018 with the Russian team - it was easy to picture Gavrikov as a light-scoring but defensive-minded player, as over his last two seasons with SKA he combined for 10 goals, 34 points and a plus-69 rating in 110 regular-season games.
Season recap: Gavrikov was a healthy scratch for the season opener and then played in every game the rest of the campaign. While defense was his calling card, he did chip in offensively, and it wasn't a surprise to see the defenseman deep in the offensive zone when the situation called for it.
Early in the season it became clear that Gavrikov meshed well with Savard, and the two spent more than 751 minutes together as a pairing at 5-on-5 this season, just 12 minutes less than Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. On the whole, the duo was solid, being on the ice for 52.6 percent of goals scored at 5-on-5 and 50.6 percent of expected goals while taking on the responsibility of taking on some of the best forward groups in the league.
For Gavrikov personally, his best stretch of the season came in a 24-game run from Dec. 5 to Jan. 22 in which he had three goals, five assists and was plus-18 while playing more than 20 minutes per night. He and Savard struggled some in bigger minutes after the Dec. 8 injury to Seth Jones, as Gavrikov was minus-8 in 14 games after Jones was hurt, but by and large the two showed their mettle and chemistry throughout the season.
"I think he's just really assertive," Savard said. "He makes a decision and goes with it. It makes my job way easier. I think I'm used to playing with guys like him, so I think we work well together."
Gavrikov added a goal and two assists in the playoffs, but he also had a weird statistical result in the two rounds. Gavrikov was plus-4 and on the ice for four goals for and zero against at 5-on-5 in four games vs. Toronto, but he was minus-8 in the five-game series vs. Tampa Bay.
