Hurricanes Offseason Wishlist #3: Vladislav Gavrikov Joining Defensive Core

In the third installment of this “Hurricanes Offseason Wishlist” series, we will move on from forwards and look at a defenseman. The Carolina Hurricanes could have one or two roster spots open on defense if Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns don’t return next season. General manager Eric Tulsky said during his exit interview with head coach Rod Brind’Amour on Tuesday that they will look to fill either one or two positions on the blue line. However, he also noted that Alexander Nikishin could fill one of those spots. If that’s the case, and they decide to look outside the organization for the last spot, why not add a highly-touted defenseman like Vladislav Gavrikov?

From the City of Angels to the City of Oaks

Gavrikov is a shutdown defenseman with a scoring touch. He finished this season with five goals and 30 points after playing a full 82 games for the Los Angeles Kings and averaging almost 19 minutes of ice time a night. Furthermore, he finished with a staggering plus-26, only 10 behind teammate Warren Foegele’s plus-36.

Gavrikov would provide solid defense on the Hurricanes’ second pairing with Alexander Nikishin, who is more offensive-minded. He would also give Nikishin a fellow Russian who’s been there and done that to learn from. Finally, Jalen Chatfield could then slide up to the first pairing with Jaccob Slavin, leaving Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere together as the third pairing.

The Hurricanes could slot Gavrikov into the penalty kill to make life easier again for assistant coach Tim Gleason. He could be on the first unit with Slavin for the ultimate shutdown pair, or used on the second unit with Chatfield or Walker to be the main player on that unit. Adding Gavrikov could provide a ton of flexibility to the defensive core for different strategies against different teams within the league. Luckily for the Hurricanes, Gavrikov can play on either side of the ice, so he can play with anyone on the blueline in any given situation throughout a game and the season.

Gavrikov’s two-year deal, worth an annual average value (AAV) of $5.875 million per season, signed by the Kings, expires this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA). According to AFP Analytics, Gavrikov is projected to be worth a seven-year, $53.260 million contract with an AAV of $7.068 million or worth 7.97% of a team’s salary cap. Would the Hurricanes want to sign the 29-year-old Gavrikov to that deal? Slavin’s eight-year, $6.4 million extension kicks in on July 1, so adding Gavrikov into that window at the same age does make sense.

The Hurricanes have $28.4 million in cap space to work with and positions to fill. Adding Gavrikov would solidify the second pairing and the penalty kill. He could help Nikishin, who will be playing his first regular-season games with Carolina. He would also free up Chatfield to join Slavin on the first pairing and give Gleason more flexibility on the blue line. If management is looking to add outside help on defense, Gavrikov is a solid option.

Hurricanes Another Day Closer to Free Agency

The Hurricanes are expected to make some aggressive moves this summer to improve the roster. With the right additions, they could take a major step toward becoming Stanley Cup favorites. Orlov and Burns might not be back, so the team has at least one spot to fill. Gavrikov could be the ideal candidate at the right price. This could be the most interesting summer to date for the team from Raleigh, North Carolina.