Rangers Roundup: Kravtsov KHL return aftermath, Chytil’s imminent return
The latest buzz around the Rangers.
Ronning is the next man up
Vitali Kravtsov is heading back to the KHL and that gives Ty Ronning a huge opportunity to make his case in Hartford. The 2016 7th round pick is now 22 so he needs to make the most out of this call up from the ECHL to Hartford.
Ronning, a second-year pro out of the Western Hockey League and seventh-round (201st overall) draft pick by the Rangers in 2016, has skated in four games this year with the Mariners and stands second on the team in goals and third in points, with 3-2-5. The 22-year-old, 5-9, 178-pound Scottsdale, Arizona native played 23 games with the Wolf Pack last season, scoring four goals and adding one assist for five points, and suited up for 25 contests with the Mariners, in which he totaled 12 goals and ten assists for 22 points.
Wolf Pack website
Kravtsov aftermath
The narrative is starting to form that Kravtsov was soft, dogging it, or both. Facts are actually straight forward. Vitali’s goal was to make the Rangers and he felt he should have. There is no doubt that the young winger was disappointed and it was obvious to many of us that followed closely.
Kravtsov struggled while in Hartford and it’s likely his heart wasn’t fully in it. The kid was also far from home and believes his game would be better benefited playing back in the KHL. Some of it may also be financial but we don’t know the exact numbers he’s returning to with Traktor. His salary was $70,000 in Hartford.
Bottom line, this was already negotiated into his contract when he signed with the Rangers this summer. And while the Rangers wanted him to stay here, they knew this was a possibility and are okay with it going forward. Kravtsov could be eligible to return at the conclusion of the KHL regular season in late February if Traktor misses the playoffs.
Chytil return?
Filip Chytil has done all the Rangers have asked of him down in Hartford. Enough so that David Quinn has taken notice. When asked Quinn said, “if he continues to play to his level that we know he’s capable of playing, he’ll be back here.” The question is, when will that be?
After Strome’s recent play and strong performance as the 2C against Buffalo, next week seems out of the question. The Rangers also play just twice next week before getting busy again the week after. So there’s some potential there.
Regardless, Chytil is the first forward in line if the Rangers pull off a trade or have someone go down to injury. His return is imminent.
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