{"id":54454,"date":"2025-07-10T15:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T15:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/54454\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T15:37:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T15:37:10","slug":"inside-the-rangers-big-july-1-moves-how-they-pulled-off-signing-gavrikov-dealing-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/54454\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Rangers\u2019 big July 1 moves: How they pulled off signing Gavrikov, dealing Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK \u2014 Noise and the New York Rangers seem to go together. It was a constant throughout their tumultuous 2024-25 season<\/a>, so naturally it continued into the summer. Executives around the league wondered what would come next for the team that tumbled from the 2023-24 Presidents\u2019 Trophy champions to out of the playoffs.<\/p>\n

President and general manager Chris Drury did not hesitate to make changes. First he fired coach Peter Laviolette early in the offseason, then hired Mike Sullivan in the hopes that the two-time Stanley Cup champion can bring stability behind the bench. In June, Drury traded away Chris Kreider, the Rangers\u2019 longest-tenured player and a link to the 2014 Eastern Conference championship team.<\/p>\n

The offseason bustle culminated on July 1, the first day of NHL free agency, with a pair of big splashes from Drury: signing Vladislav Gavrikov, arguably the best defenseman on the open market, and subsequently trading K\u2019Andre Miller to the division rival Hurricanes. The result is a projected lineup that looks almost exactly the same as it did when the 2024-25 season ended. But the switch of blueliners \u2014 signing a more established one and shipping out a younger one \u2014 signaled to opponents that the Rangers intend on returning to contention sooner rather than later. Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin will all be at least 32 years old by the time next season starts in October, and Drury seems set on maximizing the team\u2019s ceiling while they are still capable players.<\/p>\n

The day Drury signed Gavrikov and moved on from Miller could end up being one of the more consequential ones in his tenure. Here\u2019s how it all went down.<\/p>\n

The potential marriage of Gavrikov and the Rangers was one of the NHL\u2019s worst-kept secrets. Reports linking the team and player swirled in the week leading up to free agency, and other clubs around the league began assuming a deal would eventually get done on July 1.<\/p>\n

Indeed, Gavrikov, who started his career in Columbus before going to the Kings at the 2023 deadline, viewed New York as an ideal destination from early in the offseason until he eventually signed July 1, according to a league source. He and Panarin were teammates for Russia at the 2017 world championships, and then again when Gavrikov joined the Blue Jackets for the 2019 playoffs. The two are friends, and Panarin answered questions about playing in New York for Gavrikov before he agreed to a contract, according to a league source.<\/p>\n

Drury, meanwhile, was shopping for a left-shot defenseman after deciding not to commit long-term to Ryan Lindgren, whom he traded to Colorado at the March trade deadline. The Rangers\u2019 front office made a wish list early in the offseason, and Gavrikov encapsulated what they were looking for after a defensively porous season: The 29-year-old was one of league\u2019s best shutdown defensemen with the Kings in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

The Rangers\u2019 front office has liked Gavrikov\u2019s game dating back to his Columbus days, Drury later explained on July 2. The Blue Jackets shopped him at the 2023 trade deadline, but New York did not have the salary cap space to pursue him. Two years later, the Rangers got another chance, this time with the flexibility they needed.<\/p>\n

Gavrikov wasn\u2019t opposed to rejoining the Kings, but they weren\u2019t his top choice. Along with the Rangers, he was also interested in the Panthers, according to a league source. Going to Florida would not have worked from a salary cap perspective, though, especially after the repeat Stanley Cup champions re-signed defenseman Aaron Ekblad.<\/p>\n

The Kings negotiated with Gavrikov\u2019s camp through June 30 but could not reach a deal. General manager Ken Holland pivoted to other defensemen on the market, signing Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci when free agency opened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were involved in negotiations (with Gavrikov) since I got here,\u201d said Holland, who took over as Kings\u2019 general manager in May. \u201cUltimately we couldn\u2019t find, obviously, anything that worked for both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forty-nine minutes after free agency opened July 1, The Athletic\u2019s Pierre LeBrun reported<\/a> Gavrikov and the Rangers had reached a seven-year contract with a $7 million average annual value. Gavrikov could have made more from other teams, including some playoff clubs, according to a league source. Ivan Provorov, perhaps the most comparable free-agent defenseman to Gavrikov, got a seven-year, $8.5 million AAV contract to stay in Columbus.<\/p>\n

With Gavrikov likely sacrificing on AAV, the Rangers frontloaded his contract: He gets an $8 million signing bonus each of the first two years of the deal on top of a $1 million annual base salary, so he will get $18 million of his $49 million total by July 1, 2027. For comparison, that\u2019s slightly more than Provorov ($17.5 million) in the first two years.<\/p>\n

The signing also had a domino effect on New York\u2019s roster. Drury had no interest in saying goodbye to restricted free agent Will Cuylle, who is coming off a promising 45-point season as a second-year player. That left a 25-year-old defenseman who skates well, can average nearly 22 minutes a night and can contribute offense as the odd man out.<\/p>\n

Like many young players at his position, K\u2019Andre Miller struggled at points with consistency over his Rangers tenure. But while New York was not ready to commit to the restricted free agent with a long-term deal, Carolina was \u2014 and it knew New York was exploring trades for him in the months leading up to free agency. According to a league source, talks between the Hurricanes and Rangers picked up steam in the week leading up to the July 1 move.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d been working on it for a while,\u201d Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky told reporters in Raleigh that day.<\/p>\n

Multiple clubs had expressed interest in Miller, and the Rangers were in touch with his camp about teams with whom he\u2019d want to play, according to a league source. Teams can also speak directly with restricted free agents starting at 7:01 p.m. Eastern Time on June 30, so Carolina was able to gauge his interest ahead of Noon on July 1, when free agents are allowed to start signing deals. The Hurricanes knowing they\u2019d have a chance to extend Miller long-term potentially impacted how much they were willing to give up to acquire him.<\/p>\n

Sitting in Tulsky\u2019s office July 1, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour told the room of staffers that Miller reminded him of former Carolina defenseman Brady Skjei, as shown in a video the Hurricanes posted on social media<\/a>. Brind\u2019Amour cited Miller\u2019s ability to skate and join the rush while making the Skjei comparison. Tulsky did not want to subtract a sizable piece from a Hurricanes team that reached the Eastern Conference final this season, so he gave up a 2026 first-round pick (the best of Carolina\u2019s or Dallas\u2019, assuming neither is in the lottery), a 2026 second-round pick and defenseman Scott Morrow to get Miller.<\/p>\n

As part of the deal, Miller signed an eight-year, $7.5 million-AAV extension.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way you skate and close out is just going to fit the way we play,\u201d Tulsky told the defenseman on the phone after acquiring him.<\/p>\n

Ian Pulver, Miller\u2019s agent, credited Drury for how the GM handled the situation. Speaking on the PuckPedia Hockey Show, he said the Rangers\u2019 general manager \u201cwas completely aboveboard the whole time with the Miller situation and very professional.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though there\u2019s risk with trading a promising young player in-division, the Rangers were happy with the trade. New York wanted Gavrikov more than Miller, and the deal with Carolina ended any threat of a team presenting Miller or Cuylle with an offer sheet. Drury knew that might\u2019ve been possible otherwise, saying \u201cit\u2019s within the rules, so it\u2019s certainly not something you can ignore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Had the Hurricanes signed Miller to an offer sheet with the same $7.5 million AAV as they ended up paying for an extension, they would have been forced to give first-, second- and third-round picks to the Rangers. By getting two picks and Morrow, a 22-year-old prospect, the Rangers believe they surpassed the value they would have gotten as offer sheet compensation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just felt at this time it was best to allow him to explore another opportunity,\u201d Drury said. \u201cAnother piece, obviously, is salary cap space and ice time and roster space, and we felt comfortable with being able to move him in a trade and essentially replace some of his ice in the free-agent market (with Gavrikov).\u201d<\/p>\n

With Gavrikov signed and Miller traded away, the Rangers had the space to sign Cuylle to a two-year, $3.9 million AAV deal, ending any speculation he\u2019d receive an offer sheet. They also added bottom-six winger Taylor Raddysh.<\/p>\n

After one day of free agency, Drury had accomplished most of his offseason business. His two biggest transactions \u2014 signing a top-pair defenseman and trading a potential one away \u2014 made that possible.<\/p>\n

Sullivan could potentially pair Gavrikov with Adam Fox, a former Norris Trophy winner. With Gavrikov\u2019s defensive acumen and Fox\u2019s playmaking ability, the duo would likely immediately become one of the best pairings in the league. Sullivan could also choose to split them up, perhaps by using Gavrikov with Will Borgen to make a shutdown pairing that could go against other teams\u2019 top lines. Gavrikov can also play on the right side, so he has positional versatility. If he can replicate his most recent season, he\u2019ll provide an upgrade from how Miller played in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

Cuylle, 23, will have a chance to continue improving. He was one of the Rangers\u2019 bright spots in a difficult 2024-25, and his role could continue to grow as he ages. Raddysh will likely play on the third line. The 27-year-old has some offensive touch, having scored 20 goals on a bottom-feeder Chicago team in 2022-23, but has also shown he can contribute to a good team. He played 80 games last season for the Capitals, who had the best record in the East last year, then seven of the team\u2019s 10 playoff contests. Washington used him primarily on the fourth line.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot flashy but doesn\u2019t make a ton of mistakes,\u201d said one scout who frequently saw Raddysh play with Washington.<\/p>\n

The changes don\u2019t solve all the problems on the roster. New York\u2019s bottom-six forward group remains shaky, and none of the defensemen aside from Fox and Gavrikov have ever averaged more than 18 minutes a game in a season. Still, Drury certainly improved the roster July 1. And with Gavrikov and January trade addition J.T. Miller in the fold, he\u2019s continued to put his stamp on it as his own.<\/p>\n

(Photos: Kirby Lee \/ Imagn Images and Jared Silber \/ NHLI via Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW YORK \u2014 Noise and the New York Rangers seem to go together. It was a constant throughout…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":54455,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[1302,293,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-54454","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-new-york-rangers","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114829685493532576","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}