The Edmonton Oilers Need to Stop Trade Talks Immediately Regarding This Defensemen
With the NHL's trade deadline quickly approaching on March 3rd, teams are looking to get in last minute moves before trades are unable to be made for the rest of the season.
Rumours are starting to pickup, and many believe the Edmonton Oilers will be picking up a defensemen any time now. A few names have popped into trade discussions such as Joel Edmundson, Jakob Chychrun and even Chychrun's teammate Shayne Gostisbehere, but Elliotte Friedman recently stated those fits are not possible, but one layer is.
Elliotte Friedman stated Vladisav Gavirkov of the Columbus Blue Jackets has been on the Oilers radar for a while, and we may be seeing a move be made in the next month. One thing that has came to light, is Gavrikov is nearing the top-10 defensemen in the NHL with the most turnovers, alongside Darnell Nurse who is already top 10 in giveaways by a defensemen throughout the entire NHL.
More details have surfaced regarding Gavrikov, and it really proves that the Oilers need to stop discussions, and stay away.. if he was something special, why would the Blue Jackets not hold onto him?
The real truth may not be related to Gavrikov's actual play at all, which is that team executives and broadcasters don't really know how to define him, and so because he blocks shots and throws the occasional crosscheck in front of the net, he gets labeled as physical and it sticks.
Unfortunately, it's an incorrect characterization, because Gavrikov is not physical in the traditional sense of creating contact and winning pucks in contested areas. He contains offense more than he stops it, and he tries to force opponents into worse spots to shoot rather than separating forwards from pucks, which would win back possession for his team.
Opponents have keyed in on the fact that Gavrikov isn't a great puck mover, especially under pressure. He resorts to rimming the puck, in an attempt to bypass the forecheck, rather than to escape pressure and find better outlets.
With space, he makes simple plays but nothing flashy. He will occasionally join the rush, but he is more of a decoy than a threat.
Gavrikov's foot speed has always been on the plus-side of the ledger, but this season has presented some concern. He has taken twice as many penalties as he's drawn, and while a minus differential is normal for a defender, double the pleasure is not double the fun for the Jackets.
Unfortunately, it's an incorrect characterization, because Gavrikov is not physical in the traditional sense of creating contact and winning pucks in contested areas. He contains offense more than he stops it, and he tries to force opponents into worse spots to shoot rather than separating forwards from pucks, which would win back possession for his team.
Opponents have keyed in on the fact that Gavrikov isn't a great puck mover, especially under pressure. He resorts to rimming the puck, in an attempt to bypass the forecheck, rather than to escape pressure and find better outlets.
With space, he makes simple plays but nothing flashy. He will occasionally join the rush, but he is more of a decoy than a threat.
Gavrikov's foot speed has always been on the plus-side of the ledger, but this season has presented some concern. He has taken twice as many penalties as he's drawn, and while a minus differential is normal for a defender, double the pleasure is not double the fun for the Jackets.
| POLL | ||
Should the Oilers trade for another turnovers machine? | ||
| Yes | 4 | 19 % |
| Heck no | 17 | 81 % |
| List of polls | ||
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