Oilers, Leafs linked to trade for Blue Jackets' defenceman Gavrikov: report
With the NHL trade deadline just a little over a month away, rumours are heating up for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.
While much of Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast focused around the Vancouver Canucks’ eventual departure of Bruce Boudreau and the team’s asking price for Bo Horvat, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also dropped the nugget that the Leafs and Oilers are interested in trading for Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov, with the possibility of signing him past this season.
“I do think Edmonton and Toronto are among the teams who have looked into Gavrikov,” said Friedman. “What’s interesting here is that Columbus is allowing teams to speak to Gavrikov as they try to facilitate, potentially, a trade for the free agent defenseman.”
Gavrikov has three goals and seven assists in 45 games this season, while managing 22:17 of ice time per night.
The 27-year-old left-shot defenceman has spent his entire North American career with the Blue Jackets, making his debut in the 2019 playoffs after being drafted by the franchise in the fifth round in 2015. He is on a three-year contract worth $8.4 million over the course of the deal, and is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
“I do believe that Columbus’ preference would have been to resign the talented defenseman,” added Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek. “I don’t think that’s going to be able to happen. $2.8 (million) is the AAV (average annual value) on the package there for Gavrikov, and just about any contending team can slide that into their payroll.”
As for Columbus’ asking price, the Jackets are looking for “a package along the lines of a David Savard deal,” said Marek.
Savard was dealt for a pair of draft picks — in the first and third rounds — from Columbus to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021.
The NHL trade deadline is set for March 3.
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