The Kings lost him for nothing, and now Vladislav Gavrikov returns to L.A. as the Rangers’ new defensive anchor

Jonathan Quick is getting his fair share of attention for his return to Los Angeles, for what could be the final time of his career, but Vladislav Gavrikov is also making his return to Hollywood for the first time since his former team lost him for nothing. Gavrikov signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Blueshirts at the beginning of free agency, and thus far the move has worked out pretty perfectly. It's been a down year for the New York Rangers, but Gavrikov has been exactly what the team has needed, while also doing things that couldn't have been anticipated.

Gavrikov's return to Los Angeles is a reminder that Kings' loss has been Rangers' gain

The main reason for signing Gavrikov was to stabilize the Rangers' top defense pairing, and to give Adam Fox a partner he could trust. That has worked out perfectly, when Fox has been in the lineup, In 494 minutes together, Fox and Gavrikov have a 59.62 GF%, a 55.84 CF%, and a 58.52 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey. The Rangers have allowed just 1.43 goals against per 60 minutes that they've taken the ice, and that's exactly what they envisioned.

What they couldn't predict was Gavrikov's prowess as an offensive contributor, and a player who would somehow be the one to step up and take Fox's spot on the power play with him sidelined. Gavrikov scored his eighth goal of the season during Monday's loss to the Anaheim Ducks, and each subsequent goal scored will be a new career-high.

Last season Gavrikov had five goals, 25 assists, and 30 points in 82 games. Right now he's on pace to finish with 13-13-26 in 82 games played. I'd imagine that he doesn't score that many goals, but anything else he provides from this point will be appreciated.

Gavrikov's overall numbers have taken a hit since he's been paired with Braden Schneider, and that's because the Rangers' young right-handed defender is such a drain offensively. Right now Gavrikov has a 44.38 GF%, a 50.87 CF%, and a 52.32 xGF%. The Rangers are allowing 2.35 goals against per 60 minutes he's on the ice which remains solid when you consider everything that's currently going on. The good news is that he is under contract for six more seasons, and he's someone that can be a positive part of the team's turnaround post Letter 2.0.