Gavrikov Joins Chychrun on List of Those Out for ‘Trade-Related Reasons’

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov didn’t play Tuesday in his team’s 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. He is also not scheduled to play tonight when the Blue Jackets are home to face the Winnipeg Jets.

Garikov is not injured or suspended. He’s not in his coach’s dog house. Nobody in his organization is mad at him. In fact, he’s a valuable player. And that’s why he is not in the Columbus lineup.

The Blue Jackets believe they can trade him for a strong return and they don’t want to risk him suffering an injury before the March 3 trade deadline.

Welcome to the new world of player management where players are ruled out for “trade-related reasons.”

Gavrikov has joined Arizona’s Jakob Chychrun on the list of players who are sidelined because their teams don’t want them injured before they can be dealt. This has happened plenty of times before, but it usually happens at game time when a GM knows a deal is imminent.

This feels different because the teams seem to be suggesting the players could miss multiple games before they are dealt.

Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said Chychrun is out “until something happens.”

Could this be the new trend?

And if it is, will all of the general managers be on board? Neither Columbus or Arizona is in the playoff race, but the absences of Gavrikov and Chychrun makes those teams weaker when they play teams that are in the race.

But is this different than coaches resting players near the end of the regular-season to be ready for the playoffs? That also impacts playoff races.

No one has said much about it publicly, but it seems like an issue that would be discussed at the next general manager meeting.

📈 Panarin & Zibanejad score twice as Rangers extend streak to six with 6-4 win over the Canucks. Artemi Panarin is riding a 5-game point streak, including 8 points in just the past 2 games. Meanwhile, Mika Zibanejad has collected 7 goals and 2 assists in five games. Chris Kreider and K'Andre Miller added goals last night while Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves. Kreider's goal was his 251st NHL goal, all with the Rangers, moving him ahead of Mark Messier for 6th place in franchise history.

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