Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov showing unexpected scoring touch for Rangers

Most of the words Chris Drury said in July about defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov centered around the defensive side of the $49 million defenseman’s game. The Rangers president and general manager wanted to be better in front of their goaltenders. He wanted improved coverage in high-danger areas. And Gavrikov, inked to a seven-year deal at the start of free agency that month to pair with Adam Fox, possessed “qualities of an elite shutdown guy.”

But over the past eight months, another layer to Gavrikov’s game has started to emerge. He has become a scoring option for the Blueshirts, something that hadn’t necessarily been the case in past seasons with the Kings and Blue Jackets.

After scoring in a third consecutive game Saturday during the loss to the Devils, Gavrikov has collected 12 goals — shattering his previous career high of six — after recording just 11 the last two seasons combined.

He’ll have a chance to continue the longest goal streak of his career Monday against Philadelphia, but even if it ends, Gavrikov became just the third Blueshirts defenseman to have a three-game goal streak across the past 10 seasons, according to the team.

He’s also tied with Hy Buller, from the 1951-52 campaign, for the first-most goals by a defenseman in his first season on Broadway, too.

Those numbers have all been a bit unexpected for Gavrikov. But with uncertainty looming in the offseason after trade rumors involving Braden Schneider and cryptic comments from Fox about his desire to remain with the Blueshirts through their retool, Gavrikov — given the term remaining on his deal and the production in his first season — has emerged as one of the surest pieces the Rangers have on their blue line.

“From an offensive standpoint, I think he’s had a really, really good year,” head coach Mike Sullivan said Friday. “He’s everything we had hoped for defensively when we signed him, but his offensive game, I think, is something that’s been a welcomed addition to our group — and we think he’s been pretty good in that area of the rink.”

With Fox only skating in 35 games this season and missing extended time with a pair of stints on long-term injured reserve, and with Schneider also mostly struggling this season, Gavrikov has already become the anchor of the Rangers blue line in the present, too. He leads all Blueshirts in ice time. His 25 points lead all defensemen. He has filled roles on both the penalty-kill and power-play units.

And, recently, the goals have followed. Less than a minute into the third period during the March 2 game, Gavrikov slid a pass to Fox across the blue line and then veered toward the left post — collecting a return pass and sending a shot into the Blue Jackets net. Then, against the Maple Leafs, Gavrikov deposited a rebound. And to give the Blueshirts a temporary lead Saturday, he took an extra stride in from the point and ripped a shot past Jacob Markstrom.

These are the signs that teams looking to overhaul a roster need. The ones that contain glimmers of hope, that capture the notion that internal building blocks exist in addition to any of the external ones acquired or drafted.

There’s Gabe Perreault, who’s up to 11 points and carved out a role on the first line. There’s Will Cuylle, in the middle of another productive season as a physical two-way forward. There’s Noah Laba, a rookie center. And then there’s Gavrikov, established in the NHL to the point where he was a commodity last summer but still in the early stages of his Rangers tenure.

Fox’s absences have forced some shuffling alongside Gavrikov throughout the season, but in the bigger-picture, the long-term status of their pairing has become murky. When asked if he wanted to remain with the Rangers through their retool, Fox said that’s a conversation for the offseason.

When given a chance to clarify those comments, he doubled down. Schneider’s name swirled in rumors, too, ahead of the deadline. It’s unclear just how eager Drury will be to move either of those pieces in the offseason with the Rangers sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference and committed to a retool — on paper — after issuing The Letter 2.0.

The Rangers know they’ll likely have Gavrikov, though. They’ll have someone who has delivered on the expectation to be a first-pair defenseman while unexpectedly adding offensive contributions, too. The next step involves ensuring that it’s just not a one-season fluke. That the production becomes sustainable.

But for now, in a lost season for the Rangers, it has certainly emerged as one of the bright spots.