Rangers 1st-round bust tearing it up in KHL

NHL: NHL Draft
Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers have a checkered history when it comes to first-round draft picks over the past decade or so. But Vitali Kravtsov, a complete bust in the NHL, has finally found his success back home in the KHL this season.

Kravtsov was seen as a highly-skilled selection when the Rangers selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was expected to have a great career for New York, but things never really panned out for the Russia-born forward.

Kravtsov scored eight goals and 21 points in 50 KHL games with Traktor Chelyabinsk before arriving in North America. He originally debuted with Traktor in 2017, making him the youngest player in team history. That only heightened expectations on Broadway.

He began his career in the Rangers organization with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League in 2019-20, when he scored six goals and finished with 15 points in 39 games. He was then loaned back to the KHL, where he scored just three points.

It was the beginning of major disappointment on both sides of the relationship.

Related: Rangers ‘can’t win Stanley Cup with Mika Zibanejad as a 1C’: NHL insider

Vitali Kravtsov sets career-high in points with Traktor in KHL

NHL: Washington Capitals at New York Rangers
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dissatisfied at not having made the Rangers’ opening-night lineup for the 2020-21 season, Kravtsov returned to the KHL once again and scored 16 goals and had 24 points in 49 games. Deciding to make another run at the NHL, he played 20 games for the Rangers later in the season, producing only two goals and two assists.

The following season, 2021-22, saw Kravtsov go back to the KHL, as it was clear he was not ready to play in the NHL. That, and the fact that he outwardly expressed his disappointment about not being given an opportunity to play regular minutes in the NHL. So, instead of playing in Hartford, he scored six goals and had 13 points in 19 games for Traktor that season, leading to another crack with the Rangers.

2022-23 was as close as Kravtsov got to becoming a regular in the NHL. He played in 28 games for the Rangers, managing three goals and three assists before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. He played another 16 games there, where he had just one goal and one assist.

The Canucks, while not electing to sign Kravtsov, still hold his NHL rights. However, he’s spent the past two seasons with Traktor in the KHL once again — and he’s really started to find his game.

In 2023-24, he had 14 goals and 34 points in 55 games, and tacked on another three goals and five points in 14 playoff games. Now at 25 years old, he’s followed that up with a very good start this season, and just set a new career-high with 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in his 46th game of the season.

Kravtsov is projected to finish this season with 21 goals and 51 points in 67 games, all of which would be career highs. Seeming to have finally found his game in the KHL, perhaps a return to the NHL in the near future is in the cards.

However, after a young career filled with so much back and forth between the NHL and KHL, it’s possible that Kravtsov will stay put where he’s clearly most comfortable — back home in Russia. After all, he’s become a very good player and a fan favorite for the team he’s played for since he was 17.

Dane Walsh is a life-long fan of the New York Rangers. Growing up in the tri-state area, Dane has ... More about Dane Walsh
Mentioned in this article:

More About: