2018 ninth-overall pick Vitali Kravtsov has not produced as one would hope through eight games. The Russian winger has just two goals and one assist through eight games. However, this does not properly account for his overall performance and the circumstances he is existing within.
Traktor, his team, are currently enduring a mini crisis of sorts. The perennial contenders have just three wins through eight games and have been outscored 31-to-16. Defensively, they are a mess, and they have taken a ton of penalties. The defense have tremendous trouble moving the puck up the ice as well. As a result, it’s been difficult for the team’s top offensive players to establish consistent offensive zone time.
It’s bee particularly frustrating for Kravtsov specifically. He has an incredible ability to create offense out of nothing, and has done so when given the opportunity. But puck luck has not been on his side so far.
What has really impressed me about Kravtsov, and
Alex agrees, is his work away from the puck. The narratives which surround skilled Russian players are typically lazy, but in Kravtsov’s case they absolutely do not apply. He commits on the forecheck and, even at the end of his shifts, will bust his tail to cover on the backcheck.
