After scoring the third goal of his NHL career, Vladislav Gavrikov mimicked a phone call motion by holding his right hand to his face.
The playful Russian's "cellphone celly," during his rookie season with the Blue Jackets quickly caught on with fans and his refusal to reveal the recipient of his "calls" made it even better.
Reporters: "Who are you calling?"
Gavrikov (smirking): "It's a big secret."
That was four seasons and many blocked shots ago for Gavrikov, whose future is now shrouded in secrecy as a pending free agent without a contract extension less than a week before the NHL's March 3 trade deadline arrives at 3 p.m. that day.
When Gavrikov checks his phone now — his actual phone instead of a gloved right hand — he's expecting a call from Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about a trade that will determine the remainder of his season. The 27-year old defenseman missed his sixth straight game Saturday as a healthy scratch against the Edmonton Oilers ― the NHL's new way of protecting trade targets — and Gavrikov's future wasn't any clearer.
According to a Friday report in The Athletic, a proposed deal for Gavrikov with the Boston Bruins fell through Thursday mere minutes before the Blue Jackets went out for warm-up for a 2-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild . The Bruins landed defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals instead, receiving a package laden with draft picks, and the Blue Jackets were left holding an empty bag.
Rather than flipping the Bruins' 2023 first-round pick as a feature piece in a package to acquire Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun — which was reportedly the Blue Jackets' plan to acquire the 24-year old blueliner — things returned to Square One ahead of the Oilers game.
Questions now abound.
Has the market for Gavrikov diminished in the wake of the Bruins-Capitals trade? What will the Blue Jackets ultimately get for him? Will he continue to be scratched until a trade is complete or the deadline passes?
It's all a big secret now.
Gavrikov isn't talking, his agent, Dan Milstein, isn't saying much and Kekalainen has spouted the company line, stating the team would "love" to have Gavrikov stay longer … as long as it's with their contractual terms. The whole ordeal has become a bit of a circus sideshow that's left coach Brad Larsen twisted in knots when asked about Gavrikov's availability leading up the deadline.
"Nothing's changed," Larsen said Friday. "We're still status quo. "We've been dealing with this for weeks. This is the business we're in, you know? We had a game to play (Thursday) and that's what we did."
As for potential suitors, the Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings are mentioned most by NHL "insiders," as the deadline approaches. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and Gavrikov is still waiting a phone call.
Justin Danforth was placed on injured reserve Oct. 25 for a labrum tear in his right shoulder . He was given an estimated recovery time following surgery of four-to-six months and Saturday marked the fourth month post-op.
Danforth , 29, has skated on his own in Columbus for about a month and hopes to return to action at some point in the season's final 23 games. There's a twofold reason behind that goal, assuming Danforth gains medical clearance in time.
"I don't think it's fair for me to sit here 100% healthy and watch them battle, so I think it's a mix of everything," he said. "It's that plus it's good for my confidence to get back on the ice and help the team."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets and Vladislav Gavrikov awaiting trade
