In the third installment of this “Hurricanes Offseason Wishlist” series, we will move on from forwards and look at a defenseman. The Carolina Hurricanes could have one or two roster spots open on defense if Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns don’t return next season. General manager Eric Tulsky said during his exit interview with head coach Rod Brind’Amour on Tuesday that they will look to fill either one or two positions on the blue line. However, he also noted that Alexander Nikishin could fill one of those spots. If that’s the case, and they decide to look outside the organization for the last spot, why not add a highly-touted defenseman like Vladislav Gavrikov?
From the City of Angels to the City of Oaks
Gavrikov is a shutdown defenseman with a scoring touch. He finished this season with five goals and 30 points after playing a full 82 games for the Los Angeles Kings and averaging almost 19 minutes of ice time a night. Furthermore, he finished with a staggering plus-26, only 10 behind teammate Warren Foegele’s plus-36.
Gavrikov would provide solid defense on the Hurricanes’ second pairing with Alexander Nikishin, who is more offensive-minded. He would also give Nikishin a fellow Russian who’s been there and done that to learn from. Finally, Jalen Chatfield could then slide up to the first pairing with Jaccob Slavin, leaving Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere together as the third pairing.
The Hurricanes could slot Gavrikov into the penalty kill to make life easier again for assistant coach Tim Gleason. He could be on the first unit with Slavin for the ultimate shutdown pair, or used on the second unit with Chatfield or Walker to be the main player on that unit. Adding Gavrikov could provide a ton of flexibility to the defensive core for different strategies against different teams within the league. Luckily for the Hurricanes, Gavrikov can play on either side of the ice, so he can play with anyone on the blueline in any given situation throughout a game and the season.
