The 1st Ohio Battery summer prospect series continues with our No. 7 best prospect in the Blue Jackets organization, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.
Reason for Ranking
Gavrikov is a classic stay-at-home defenseman with limited offensive upside. A sixth-round draft pick from 2015, he's carved out a successful career in the KHL. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he is a steady presence on the blue line, but lacks the offensive ceiling to be a true top prospect.
Internally, we have mixed feelings about Gavrikov. Sam had him ranked highest at 7th overall, while I had him at 9th, and Paul had him pegged as the organization's 11th best prospect.
NHL Projection
Bottom-four defenseman.
Gavrikov has what it takes to play in the NHL, and is likely the most sure-fire NHL-player to this point in our prospect rankings. But prospects aren't graded on simply making it to the NHL, but rather, their impact once they make it there.
Blue Jackets brass has been adamant that Gavrikov can play in the NHL. Last winter, the then 21-year-old Russian came to Columbus with the organization pitching he leave the KHL. While on the trip, Gavrikov signed a two-year deal to stay in Russia. GM Jarmo Kekalainen told the Columbus Dispatch, "If he comes here at 23 years of age, he can still play 15 seasons in the National Hockey League."
Gavrikov turns 23 in November, for the record.
Best Case Scenario
It's not unreasonable to assume that Gavrikov could become a solid second-pairing NHL defenseman, and that's nothing to scoff at, especially for a sixth-round pick.
His agent, Dan Milstein (Artemi Panarin's agent, as well) told The Athletic that Gavrikov would "be able, in the very near future, to step into a top-four role in North America."
If it weren't for the Pyeongchang Olympics keeping NHL players out, it's plausible that Gavrikov would be in North America already. Instead, he signed a two-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg, enabling him to play for the Olympic Athletes of Russia. Ultimately, it paid off, as he won a gold medal as a top-four defenseman on the team. He'll enter the final year of his contract with SKA in 2018-19.
Strengths and Weaknesses
On a loaded SKA team, Gavrikov posted a KHL career-high 5-9-14 in 50 games, third best among defensemen on his team.
Gavrikov is a solid skater, especially when accounting for his size. He's the type of defenseman you may not notice, for better or worse. The left-handed defenseman has played well at high levels, and there's reason to believe he can become a steady NHL player. But he lacks the offensive ceiling that would allow him to become a legitimate impact defenseman.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
