Top Left-Handed Defenseman More Likely Than Ever to Hit Free Agency: Kyle Dubas Must Act

The biggest free agent decision the Los Angeles Kings will need to make this summer is regarding defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

Though the team has both cap space and a new GM coming in, retaining Gavrikov won't be easy, as there will be several teams in on him, and he's set to land one of the largest contracts in this summer's market.

Kings president Luc Robitaille has indicated contract talks for key players like Gavrikov won't wait for a GM to be named. In fact, discussions reportedly began near the trade deadline, with then-GM Rob Blake was confident a deal could be reached.

However, with free agency fast approaching and Gavrikov ranked 10th overall on Frank Seravalli's Top 50 Free Agents list, he may be eager to explore the open market.

AFP Analytics projects Gavrikov to ink a seven-year deal at $7.6 million per year, the top end of comparables such as defensemen like Ivan Provorov.

While he had an excellent season and stepped up to the challenge with Drew Doughty's absence, committing long-term to a player who will be 30 carries risk, especially with uncertainty regarding his play in the latter years.

The Kings also need to consider re-signing Andrei Kuzmenko and RFA Alex Laferriere. Re-signing all three would severely limit their ability to add new talent.

This leaves the door open for the Pittsburgh Penguins. GM Kyle Dubas needs to make an aggressive push to sign Gavrikov.

As the Penguins require stability and leadership on the back end, Gavrikov's physicality and top-four experience would be a welcome addition.

He is exactly the type of player Dubas targets: reliable, experienced, and able to play big minutes, a commodity the Penguins lacked last season.