After Jakob Chychrun, Vladislav Gavrikov is the next best defenceman to be made available ahead of the trade deadline, or at least, the most sought after. Just hours ago, the intensity around Gavrikov trade discussions have heated up, and now insiders believe the trade to be imminent.
The Twitter account @NHLRumoursDaily, who is surprisingly accurate, broke today that a trade sending Gavrikov out of Columbus is pretty much complete, and will be finalized relatively soon. However, NRD and Athletic writer Aaron Portzline both have confirmed that the potential Gavrikov trade is currently being held up by another transaction.
With recent rumours heating up of Edmonton acquiring Erik Karlsson and the LA Kings acquiring Jakob Chychrun, the market for Gavrikov is likely held up by what buyer will commit and pull the trigger on a trade first.
Gavrikov is a 27 year old, 6'3 defensive defenceman, signed to an affordable expiring of $2.8M, making him an extremely attractive option for contending teams. Despite having almost no offensive upside, with only 10 points in 52 games, the price to acquire Gavrikov has reportedly been a first round draft pick and several other smaller assets.
It's already been announced that Gavrikov will sit out all games until a trade is completed, so hopefully for the player and both teams, a deal can be made expeditiously.
