The Columbus Blue Jackets have had quite the offseason. GM Jarmo Kekalainen landed the consensus top player available on the free agent market, Johnny Gaudreau, and locked his superstar sniper, Patrik Laine, into a four-year deal to stay in Columbus.
With the signing of Erik Gudbranson also on the books, the Blue Jackets have been left in an unfamiliar position: without any salary cap room. The team does have Gustav Nyquist’s $5.5M contract coming off the books next summer, and it looks like we may already have a good idea as to who a good chunk of those funds will be re-allocated to next summer. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Blue Jackets “would like to get” defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov “signed long-term” to an extension.
It’s easy to see why the Blue Jackets would want to retain Gavrikov, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Gavrikov was the clear No. 2 defenseman on the Blue Jackets, handling over 22 difficult minutes per night. Gavrikov was also a highly-trusted penalty killer, and he anchored the Blue Jackets’ penalty kill operation alongside Andrew Peeke. The 26-year-old Russian also took a step forward on the offensive side of the game, ending the season with a healthy 33 points despite playing barely any time on the team’s power play. Gavrikov is among the league’s most underrated all-around defensemen and his overall profile should see a boost once his (likely lucrative) next contract hits the books.
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