Source: Rangers Exploring Ivan Provorov As UFA Option To Bolster Blue Line

Ivan Provorov #9 of the Columbus Blue Jackets skates (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

The New York Rangers are exploring the possibility of signing 28-year-old defenseman Ivan Provorov , the sources told RG.

“The Rangers are considering Ivan Provorov as a candidate,” an RG source familiar with the situation said. “He’s one of their options for strengthening the defensive line.”

Provorov spent the past two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. This year, he posted 33 points in 81 games while averaging more than 23 minutes of ice time per game. Earlier, The Athletic reported that Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell met with Provorov’s agent, Mark Gandler, at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. However, it remains unclear if any progress was made. 

Provorov is eligible to sign a seven-year deal on the open market or an eight-year deal with Columbus, but the Blue Jackets have reportedly pushed for a shorter-term contract.

Provorov is coming off a six-year deal with an average annual value of $6.75 million, originally signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. In the summer of 2023, the Flyers traded him in a three-team deal involving the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings.

According to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, the Rangers are also reportedly interested in another Russian defenseman—Vladislav Gavrikov of the Los Angeles Kings—who, like Provorov, could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Per PuckPedia, the Rangers currently have approximately $8.4 million in cap space. Only five defensemen are under contract for next season, and K’Andre Miller is a restricted free agent.