Vladislav Gavrikov: Receives offer from Blue Jackets

Gavrikov, a KHL free agent, has received a contract offer from the Blue Jackets, Aaron Portszline of The Columbus Dispatch reports. "We think he has a very good chance, if he wants to sign with us now, to step right in and play for us," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Monday.

The 21-year-old's North American agent, Dan Milstein, isn't sure whether Gavrikov wants to make the jump to the NHL yet, but if he does sign with Columbus, he'll join an extremely young and talented blue line that already includes Calder Trophy candidate Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. A sixth-round pick by the Jackets in 2015, Gavrikov has NHL size and mobility, and he isn't afraid to get physical. However, he scored only three goals and seven points in 54 games for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv last season and would likely be competing for a spot on the Jackets' third pairing, so his fantasy value is likely to be limited.