Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov and other Rangers prospects practice at the Rangers’ training facility in Greenburgh on Sept. 5, 2019. Credit: © Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News, Rockland/Westchester Journal News via Imagn Content Services, LLC
Vitaly Kravtsov is ready to make his mark on the NHL and the New York Rangers after a tumultuous few years. The troubles between the Rangers’ first-round pick, ninth overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft are well-documented. He went twice to Russia after failing to get the team out of camp, which upset Chris Drury according to multiple reports.
The first time Vitali left was in 2019, when he used his European exit clause to get out of Hartford. According to Arthur Staple of the athletic, Drury told him that he “resigned” from the team. Last year, after failing to get the team out of camp, he failed to show up to the wolf pack and requested a trade.
Kravtsov injured his groin during preseason, and the Rangers were reportedly unhappy with his conditioning. So he was assigned to Hartford, but Kravtsov disagreed with his assessment. The Rangers allowed their camp, led by agent Dan Milstein, to talk to other teams, but no trade ever materialized.
Now here we are with both sides playing well and putting the past behind us.
Vitali Kravtsov and New York Rangers together again
So why the sudden change of heart?
From the Rangers’ perspective, cap issues have forced them to rely on cheaper, younger talent. Kravtsov signed a one-year extension for $875,000 and will play a prominent role in the team’s third row with a chance to move up.
“I don’t think we’ve ever doubted our stance that he’s a world talent. He does a lot of things on the ice that a lot of people can’t.” General manager Chris Drury said. “Like everyone else, your game dictates where you end up. But we’re certainly happy to have him back in the mix.”
Kravtsov, 22, had a strong 2021-22 campaign in the KHL. In 19 regular season games, he had 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points. During the playoffs, he had 7 goals and a total of 10 points in 15 games.
Having played 20 games for Rangers at the end of the 2020-21 season, he scored two goals and added two assists. That experience will be beneficial to both Kravtsov and the Blueshirts this year.
This is a great opportunity for Vitali to prove that he can play in the NHL. Unlike his previous contract, the Rangers must put him on waivers and risk losing him for nothing if they choose to send him out. That means he’ll get his time on the ice and make sure every team in the league knows what he can do.
How long will this last?
Trying to understand how the two sides made peace to work together is just one aspect of a very intriguing story.
The real question everyone should be asking is how long this relationship will last.
The Rangers have a lot of prospects and not all of them are going to play here. They’re overloaded on the wings with Brennan Othmann looking like a future superstar. Will Cuylle also appears poised to play a role in the top nine.
While those two likely won’t make it out of the team’s training camp this season, they almost seem destined to be a lock for the 2023-24 campaign.
If that is the case, Kappo Kakko or Vitali Kravtsov are not expected to be here when that time comes. That’s why it’s imperative that the Rangers take a long look at each one this season.
It’s no secret that when either Patrick Kane or JT Miller becomes available at the next trade deadline, the Rangers will be the contenders. It’s going to cost them their first-round pick, a prospect and a player like Kakko or Kravtsov.
To me, I think the Rangers would rather move the latter and increasing his trade value is the only way to go.
At the end of the day, Kravtsov is back in New York preparing for a big season, but it might be for a short time.
