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.