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Despite being the 17th ranked European skater on NHL Central Scouting’s list, Vladislav Gavrikov was passed over in the 2014 NHL Draft. Now as an overager, he should get some strong consideration in the 2015 NHL Draft, after an excellent season. He had a particularly strong showing at the 2015 World Junior Championships, helping Russia to win a Silver Medal. Despite not scoring a single point over his seven games, he was so dominant defensively that he earned honours as the best defenceman in the tournament. It is not the first time that Gavrikov has experienced success on the international stage, as he was part of the 2012 Russian team that won the Under 17 World Hockey Challenge. He was also a part of Russia’s 2013 entry in the IIHF Under 18 World Championships. In terms of club play, Gavrikov has bounced around quite a bit this season, playing 16 games for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL, 11 games for HK Ryazan in the VHL, and 16 games Loko Yaroslavl in the MHL. Over those games he has put up two goals and 11 points. A recent contract extension with Lokomotiv may cause some issues in terms of the Russian factor and his draftability.
Vladislav Gavrikov
Defense — shoots Left
Born Nov 21 1995
Height 6.03 — Weight 205 [191 cm/93 kg]
Vladislav Gavrikov has excellent size and is not afraid to use it. He plays a very physical game, standing up zone entries at the line, punishing opponents who try to go wide on him, throwing plenty of hits in the corners, and clearing the front of the net. He plays excellent positional defense, maintaining good gap control and forcing attacker to the outside and away from key danger areas in his zone. Gavrikov is a willing shot blocker who is not afraid to get into shooting lanes, and uses his long stick to cut down on passing lanes. He proved to be particularly strong in the penalty kill when playing for the Russian national junior teams. To top it all off, he is a player who shows leadership on the ice and was rewarded by being named the captain of Team Russia, and the captain of his MHL club. Adding muscle over the last year was a big reason why he was so much better in board battles and clearing the net this season, and led to his breakthrough performance at the World Juniors.
Vladislav Gavrikov is a good skater for his size. He has decent top end speed, a good first step, and above average acceleration. More importantly his backwards skating is as strong as his forwards movement, allowing him to play the shut down style of defensive game that he does. Gavrikov also has good edgework and pivots which allow him to keep the play in front of him and cover a lot of ice. His balance and lower body strength give Gavrikov the ability to win board battles.
There isn’t much to talk about when it comes to Gavrikov’s offensive game. While he has a decent first pass out of his zone, and his slap shot is average, he really does not bring a lot of offense to the game. He is a stay at home type of defender, who does not join the rush often, and is not one to pinch a lot at the blue line. He is more valued for his defensive contributions, than for any kind of offence he puts up.
Vladislav Gavrikov has the potential to be a shutdown defender, playing top four minutes at the NHL level. He could blossom into a valuable player at even strength, particularly if paired with an elite offensive defenceman, and on the penalty kill. His style is similar to Marc Methot of the Ottawa Senators, but this is a style comparison only and not one based on skill.
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