NY Rangers Get Blunt 6-Word Vladislav Gavrikov Prediction

The New York Rangers have received a blunt prediction about defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL season. Blueshirt Banter analyst Jake DiBlasio reviewed expectations for the Russian player ahead of the next campaign and, in summary, said: 'Year two could be even better.' Gavrikov joined the Rangers during the 2025-26 season from the Los Angeles Kings, and in his first year with the New York franchise, he appeared in 82 games, scoring 14 goals and recording 21 assists for 35 points. The defenseman is currently entering year 2 of 7 on the contract he signed with the Rangers, carrying a $7 million cap hit and a total value of $49 million. At the end of his contract, he will become an unrestricted free agent at 36. Vladislav Gavrikov's Penalty Kill Role Crucial for NY Rangers DiBlasio explains that with the new additions to the roster available to head coach Mike Sullivan, such as Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi, the Russian defenseman could return to the lockdown defensive style he is best known for. He wrote, 'Coming into last season, outside of the top pair of Gavrikov and Fox, the Rangers' blue line was extremely thin. That is no longer the case. The Rangers have a strong second pairing in Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi, along with adding top prospect Alberts Smits to the system.' The analyst predicts that the Russian defenseman will be paired with Adam Fox, although he acknowledges that the coach could experiment with different combinations. 'Their offseason additions should allow Gavrikov to return to the lockdown defensive style of play he is known for. I believe that he will start the season on a pairing with Fox, but would not be surprised if head coach Mike Sullivan plays with the combinations.' Despite the overall positive outlook for next season, one statistic suggests Gavrikov needs to return to his best form sooner rather than later. Last season, he recorded an xGA/60 of 0.99 while killing penalties, the worst mark of his career so far. By contrast, during the 2024-25 season with the Kings, his xGA/60 stood at -0.313, the second-best mark in the NHL at the time, according to DiBlasio. He added, 'Gavrikov will also be a staple on the Rangers' penalty kill unit. The Blueshirts' short-handed unit killed under 80 percent of penalties for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Gavrikov will play a huge role in helping them return to the top of the league in that metric.' NHL Preseason Looming for NY Rangers The Rangers will begin the NHL preseason by facing the New Jersey Devils on Monday, Sept. 21, at the Prudential Center in Newark. Quickly, just one day later, they will face the New York Islanders on Sept. 22 at Madison Square Garden in New York. On Sept. 24, they will host the New Jersey Devils before traveling to UBS Arena in Elmont the following day to face the New York Islanders once again. The September preseason schedule ends with that game, and the 2026-27 NHL season will quickly begin on Sept. 29 with a game at TD Garden in Boston against the Boston Bruins.