Vladislav Gavrikov thriving after being Rangers pivot from star duo set to make Garden returns

As longtime franchise staple Chris Kreider and former captain Jacob Trouba prepare to make their returns to the Garden on Monday night, one of the players brought in with the salary cap savings generated by their trades has established himself on the Rangers first defensive pairing.

Free-agent signing Vladislav Gavrikov has been playing some of the best hockey of his NHL career even with regular partner Adam Fox sidelined over the past couple of weeks with an upper-body injury.

“We’re thrilled, obviously, he’s been a big part of our team, on both sides of the puck,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after Saturday’s 5-4 overtime win over the Canadiens. “Obviously we were aware of his defensive capabilities, and that was a big reason why he was attractive for us. But what he’s produced offensively for us — not just the goals he’s scored, but the way he’s active off the offensive blue line, his ability to transition the puck and things of that nature to help us generate offense both off the rush and in the zone, I think it’s been a really welcomed addition, and he’s had a great start to the season for us.

“When he was paired with Foxy, obviously we really liked that pair. We thought, our hope was when we signed him, that he would be complementary to Foxy. And that certainly has played itself out here in the early part of the season.”

The 30-year-old Gavrikov, who was signed away from the Kings on a seven-year deal worth $49 million in free agency, logged a season-high 27:56 of ice time Saturday night as the Rangers improved to 2-0-2 in their past four games at MSG entering home games on back-to-back nights against the Ducks and the Canucks.

Trouba was traded to the Ducks in a cost-cutting move last December, and Kreider rejoined him in Anaheim in a separate trade in June.