The Detroit Red Wings will look to add to their blue line this offseason.
Detroit failed to make the playoffs last season and plans to be active this offseason. NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic urged the Red Wings to sign Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency to bolster their blue line.
“Detroit needs a top-four defenseman, and Gavrikov would be the dream fit,” Bultman wrote. “He’s one of the league’s best defensive defensemen. (He’s) used to taking tough minutes and has familiarity with Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney from Los Angeles. Putting Gavrikov next to Moritz Seider would make for a fearsome defensive pairing.”
Gavrikov finished his two-year, $11.75 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings and will be highly sought after by several teams in free agency. Gavrikov could be a great top-pairing defenseman with Seider, as he plays well defensively but can produce offensively.
The 29-year-old Russian defenseman is projected to sign a seven-year deal worth $7.6 million per season, according to DailyFaceoff. Although it would be a hefty contract, Gavrikov will be a star defenseman. He can add some much-needed help to Detroit’s blue line.
Gavrikov recorded 5 goals and 25 assists for 30 points in 82 games with the Kings last season.
Insider Shares Surprising Contract Prediction for Gavrikov
Gavrikov is one of the top free-agent defenseman available on July 1 and will be in line for a massive deal.
With several teams likely to be interested in Gavirkov, there could be a bidding war for him. With that, NHL insider James Mirtle of The Athletic shared a surprising contract prediction for him.
“Gavrikov posted some of the best defensive numbers of anyone league-wide last season, is only 29 years old, and is coming off a season in which he averaged 23:05 of ice time per game, a career high. And there’s no one else like him available this free-agent season,” Mirtle wrote. “His asking price could top $8.5 million on a max-term deal, a considerable raise over the two-year, $5.875 million deal he is coming off.”
Ultimately, the Red Wings have been a team that has been linked to Gavrikov this summer in free agency.
Red Wings GM Ready to Make a Big Move
Detroit has missed the playoffs in nine straight years and will look to be aggressive this offseason.
The Red Wings will look to add talent to the roster. General manager Steve Yzerman says he will be open to signing prominent free agents.
“We’ve kind of felt that all along, we’re going to look at any good player. Any player that can help us in any role. If there’s a player worthy of spending whatever amount on, that has an interest in playing in Detroit and fits a need for us, absolutely we would try to do that,” Yzerman said. “We’re in a different stage than we were maybe five years ago in that we have a good young nucleus of players. And if we can add to that with a prominent free agent, we’d certainly entertain that.”
The Red Wings have just over $21.3 million in cap space.
Insider Urges Red Wings to Sign $11.75 Million Defenseman to Bolster Blue Line