The Los Angeles Kings' top priority at this point of the offseason is trying to bring back Vladislav Gavrikov. The challenge is that he will certainly command a big contract in free agency, so the contract demands have significantly increased.
If Ken Holland and the Kings are not able to agree on a new deal, they will need to begin to look at options to replace Gavrikov on their defense. It won't be easy as Gavrikov was one of their top defensemen this past season, as he averaged over 23 minutes of ice time per game with 30 points and a +/- of +26.
With that in mind, these are five players who are unrestricted free agents that the Kings could consider this summer.
5 free agents the LA Kings might sign to replace Vladislav Gavrikov
Ivan Provorov
After Gavrikov, the best left defenseman available in free agency is probably Ivan Provorov, who was with the Columbus Blue Jackets the past two seasons after playing seven seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. Provorov is coming off one of his best seasons of his career as he had a very similar stat line to Gavrikov with 33 points, +11 rating, and 23:21 minutes of ice time per game.
The challenge for the Kings is that Provorov is going to command a similar contract to Gavrikov and if they are willing to pay up for him, why not get a deal done with a player they know in Gavrikov? There is no question that this is the easiest replacement as Provorov can step into the lineup without much of a decrease in production.