Like the Arizona Coyotes did for Jakob Chychrun, the Columbus Blue Jackets will keep defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov out and trade him until the close of trade.
• Also read: Alex Ovechkin is absent for family reasons
• Also read: NHL: seven players who could change their address
The Russian, while healthy, was left out for Tuesday night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. The Jackets said on Twitter that they made the decision for “commercial reasons.”
The 27-year-old could be an interesting target for many teams looking for depth down the blue line. Gavrikov has played at Columbus for the past four seasons, having joined from SKA St. Petersburg in 2019.
The former Blue Jackets sixth-round pick (159th overall) has an average annual salary of $2.8 million. At the end of the campaign, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Gavrikov has 10 points in 52 games in 2022-23 and 73 in his career in 256 games.