Heading into last season, the New York Rangers were expected to bounce back in a big way, especially after hiring two-time Stanley Cup winner Mike Sullivan to be their new Head Coach. Unfortunately, the team took another huge step back, as they would ultimately finish the 2025/26 season as the third worst team in the National Hockey League.
This comes after plenty of player movement in the years prior, with the likes of K’Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider all moved out from their previously very successful core group. In 2025/26, they also dealt former superstar winger Artemi Panarin, and with the team likely to struggle moving forward, they’ve got some more big time decisions to make in the coming weeks and months.
Vladislav Gavrikov may Want out of New York This Off-Season
GettyVladislav Gavrikov of the New York Rangers.
One player that many have speculated may be disappointed with the Rangers change of direction is veteran defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who came to New York last summer to play with Panarin and compete for a Stanley Cup. Obviously, neither of those things are going to happen in 2026/27, as Panarin is now in Los Angeles and the team are expected to struggle on the back of their 34-39-9 record in 2025/26.
In his first season with the Rangers, Gavrikov was highly effective once again, with 14 goals and a career high 35 points across all 82 games played for the team. While the team ranked 30th in the NHL standings, Gavrikov had a very solid -8 differential despite playing a career high 23:44 a night for the Rangers.
Unfortunately for Gavrikov, the team just took a step back overall, and while there’s still players like J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafreniere and others leading the way to a potential turnaround, it’s easy to see why he’d be frustrated with the direction the team now appears to be heading.
Gavrikov Linked to a Move Back to the Los Angeles Kings
As a result, we head into an off-season where the Rangers will likely solidify themselves as a rebuilding squad, and if that is confirmed, it’s likely that Gavrikov will want out, despite signing a seven-year, $49 million deal just last year. If that is the case, speculation has grown around his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, with Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus confirming that there is something to the story of a potential return to LA for the 30-year-old defenseman.
That is obviously where Panarin ended up, and while the team are potentially looking to get younger, if they believe they can compete with the core of Panarin, Adrian Kempe, Drew Doughty and a returning Gavrikov, then General Manager Ken Holland may look to pull the trigger on a deal. Only time will tell if something more comes of this, but with the Rangers not being able to compete in a loaded Eastern Conference next year and all of Gavrikov’s ties to Los Angeles, this is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
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