At the time of the NHL Trade Deadline, players currently in the final year of their contracts could be made available. The thought process for teams like the Los Angeles Kings is to move these players to get something in return before they might leave in free agency.
Fortunately for the Los Angeles Kings, they didn't really have many players that fit into that category outside of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. The Kings acquired him a few seasons ago as part of a package in return for Jonathan Quick.
This season, Gavrikov has taken a big step forward and was a key defenseman with the absence of Drew Doughty. He is averaging a career-high average time on ice of nearly 24 minutes and has three goals and 18 assists.
After the trade deadline, general manager Rob Blake not only confirmed that the team is currently negotiating with Gavrikov on a new contract but also said he was confident they would get a deal done. He didn't feel like the NHL Trade Deadline was what he described as a "pressure point" for a new contract.
Blake did note that Gavrikov recently changed agents and with the team's focus on the NHL Trade Deadline that there hasn't been much time to discuss a contract with Gavrikov's new representation.
Vladislav Gavrikov final piece to solidify defense for the next few seasons for Los Angeles Kings
If the Los Angeles Kings are able to agree to a contract extension they will have their defense pretty much set for the next few seasons. In addition to Gavrikov, Mikey Anderson is under contract through the 2030-31 season, Joel Edmundson through 2027-28, Drew Doughty through the 2026-27 with Jordan Spence and Brandt Clarke set to be a restricted free agent after next season.
While the defense has slipped a bit over the past two weeks or so, this group has played among the best in the league. If they can keep this group together, there is no reason to think they can't stay near the top of the league moving forward.