Confirmed Signing with Link: F Vitaly Kravtsov signs 2 year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL

[NyQuil]

Is he the greatest player to never be great?

I had high hopes for the Hodgson-Virtanen-Kravtsov line.

 

[Hoglander]

I had high hopes for the Hodgson-Virtanen-Kravtsov line.

Backed up on defense by Olli Juolevi and Frank Corrado

 

[BelovedIsles]

see Kirill Petrov

Or the other Kirill.

Work ethic aside, I never saw the dynamic skill that many lauded. I didn’t see it in Kabanov either.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

He went to the front of the net wide open and scored. Maybe he is learning. What a bust considering where he was drafted. Rangers like worth ethic and drafted a player that did not have that. Great scouting here, glad he is gone

To me it is too risky using high draft picks on players That are developed in the leagues that play very different hockey style than NHL and different size rinks. I rather draft someone a bit less skilled, but who has better understanding of NHL/playoffs and north American hockey.

 

[MKGamingByMunish]

Never forget in 2019 Craig Button ranked Kravtsov and Denisenko the #1 and #2 prospects in the NHL, with Makar at #3

Russian wingers top TSN’s ranking of NHL-affiliated prospects - TSN.ca

Vitali Kravtsov of the Rangers edges fellow Russian right wing Grigori Denisenko of the Panthers in TSN Hockey’s annual list of the Top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects, while the Habs and Canucks lead all Canadian teams in the ranking with three players each.

www.tsn.ca

Because they were at the time. How a team develops a players ALOT believe it or not.

 

[Snauen]

To me it is too risky using high draft picks on players That are developed in the leagues that play very different hockey style than NHL and different size rinks. I rather draft someone a bit less skilled, but who has better understanding of NHL/playoffs and north American hockey.

How about also weighing in the fact that you are practically at war with theese players home country.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Case in point why you shouldn't put too much emphasis on a player who has had a good playoffs run. He didn't do shit before or after that.

The Ville Leino.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

How about also weighing in the fact that you are practically at war with theese players home country.

absolutely, and are there any players other than Russians that refuse to give interviews in English and require a terrible incompetent translators to be hired? Do they speak to their teammates on the ice with translator's help as well? It sounds like they cater to the Russian audiences rather than American ones.

 

[haveandare]

Could probably be a decent middle six NHL player if he were willing to do the work in the AHL, but he doesn’t seem to think it’s worth it.

 

[Michoulicious]

I had high hopes for the Hodgson-Virtanen-Kravtsov line.

The Brannstrom - Runblad pairing for me.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Because they were at the time. How a team develops a players ALOT believe it or not.

I don't remember as well about Denisenko, but Kravtsov should never have been ranked that high. The reaction on the Rangers board to Button's ranking of him was basically, "lol, okay Craig, we'll take it."

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I don't remember as well about Denisenko, but Kravtsov should never have been ranked that high. The reaction on the Rangers board to Button's ranking of him was basically, "lol, okay Craig, we'll take it."

Denisenko had a great world juniors and had the pure offensive upside to think he could eventually be as good as Panarin was during his prime, but wasn’t able to play well in the KHL. He had great offensive skillz that he was able to dominate with for Russia, but couldn’t do so in men’s pro hockey in the same way he did against juniors.

 

[TS Quint]

Because they were at the time. How a team develops a players ALOT believe it or not.

Russians are overrated.

 

[thrillhous]

Because they were at the time. How a team develops a players ALOT believe it or not.

No it was an indefensible position at the time and we should not be surprised at all to see where things stand today.

 

[thrillhous]

Denisenko had a great world juniors and had the pure offensive upside to think he could eventually be as good as Panarin was during his prime, but wasn’t able to play well in the KHL. He had great offensive skillz that he was able to dominate with for Russia, but couldn’t do so in men’s pro hockey in the same way he did against juniors.

Denisenko wasn’t even good enough to dominate against his fellow juniors in Russia. He did play very well in a Russia uniform internationally but this is yet another example of why you shouldn’t overemphasize play, good or bad, at junior tournaments and push aside their overall body of work.

 

[Voight]

Lol what a run of top 10 picks by the Rags... Andersson-Kravstov-Kakko-Laf..... oof.

 

[Petes2424]

To me it is too risky using high draft picks on players That are developed in the leagues that play very different hockey style than NHL and different size rinks. I rather draft someone a bit less skilled, but who has better understanding of NHL/playoffs and north American hockey.

If you look at most so-called NHL “Busts” they’re generally skilled, natural European wingers.

There’s one fundamental reason why. Space.

Space just doesn’t exist in the NHL. They play in systems, especially Russians and Czechs, that force play outside. That’s where open ice is. So these guys grow up never playing in traffic. If you look, almost all European wingers, playing in the NHL, minus Swedes over the last 10-12 years, those players were natural centermen. They grew up playing in traffic and know how to create space. It’s a natural development too. You can’t teach it. It’s a feel for the game. Peeling off defenders, etc. So they can convert to the wing in the NHL.

Those skilled wingers can’t create space and the worst part? You really don’t find out until they’re in the NHL, because the game is so different from even the AHL. There’s literally no space in the NHL. Players are in your face immediately. Many of these busts are really skilled too. Doesn’t matter. If you can’t create space in the NHL, you won’t score in the league.

Sweden made a fundamental change to their development programs about ten years ago, that gets away from systems and teaches more 1 on 1 play. Like we play and teach in NA. So we see a lot more natural wingers from Sweden now. Before that, same thing. Most Swedish wingers in the NHL were natural centermen.

That’s why there’s teams now, that won’t draft a skilled “natural” winger if they’re not from NA or Sweden. At least not with high picks.

There’s just zero space in the NHL. It’s like playing an entirely new position for these natural wingers when they come over. They can even have some success in the CHL, or even AHL. Depends how quick they are. In the NHL though? They got no chance a lot of the time.

 

[TropicOfNoReturn]

He is probably happier back home and Vancouver is not really going to be making the playoffs in the next few years

Only pretend making the playoffs

 

[abo9]

If you look at most so-called NHL “Busts” they’re generally skilled, natural European wingers.

There’s one fundamental reason why. Space.

Space just doesn’t exist in the NHL. They play in systems, especially Russians and Czechs, that force play outside. That’s where open ice is. So these guys grow up never playing in traffic. If you look, almost all European wingers, playing in the NHL, minus Swedes over the last 10-12 years, those players were natural centermen. They grew up playing in traffic and know how to create space. It’s a natural development too. You can’t teach it. It’s a feel for the game. Peeling off defenders, etc. So they can convert to the wing in the NHL.

Those skilled wingers can’t create space and the worst part? You really don’t find out until they’re in the NHL, because the game is so different from even the AHL. There’s literally no space in the NHL. Players are in your face immediately. Many of these busts are really skilled too. Doesn’t matter. If you can’t create space in the NHL, you won’t score in the league.

Sweden made a fundamental change to their development programs about ten years ago, that gets away from systems and teaches more 1 on 1 play. Like we play and teach in NA. So we see a lot more natural wingers from Sweden now. Before that, same thing. Most Swedish wingers in the NHL were natural centermen.

That’s why there’s teams now, that won’t draft a skilled “natural” winger if they’re not from NA or Sweden. At least not with high picks.

There’s just zero space in the NHL. It’s like playing an entirely new position for these natural wingers when they come over. They can even have some success in the CHL, or even AHL. Depends how quick they are. In the NHL though? They got no chance a lot of the time.

That looks very convincing and might be true to a degree, but when I glance at the top of the NHL leaderboard, Pastrnak and Kucherov are Czech and Russian wingers who I see as wingers on eliteprospects as far as they have data. Rantanen too, but he was listed W/C so idk what he played. Even Panarin

And then when compared to NA prospects, is there a huge difference? Lots of NA prospects start at c and convert to wingers.

Maybe its more of a mattwe with the vey elite youth (Kucherov/Pastrnak were 2nd rounders after all)

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Why is this guy still relevant in the Hockey community? He’s a bust 1000%

 

[Garbageyuk]

Just wait until he gets to the NHL. The Rangers will be a powerhouse.

 

[Prairie Habs]

Just wait until he gets to the NHL. The Rangers will be a powerhouse.

Traded to the 'nucks for a 7th and an AHLer

 

[57special]

I am not going to use Kravstov as an example for Russian player/wingers as a whole. He's just a highly drafted guy who didn't make it. The fact that he is Russian has nothing to do with anything. We can all come up with lists of highly ranked players from North America, or the EU, that also failed to develop.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I am not going to use Kravstov as an example for Russian player/wingers as a whole. He's just a highly drafted guy who didn't make it. The fact that he is Russian has nothing to do with anything. We can all come up with lists of highly ranked players from North America, or the EU, that also failed to develop.

Most of those stayed in North America and was in the AHL. Kravtsov thought he was too good for the AHL. Maybe the AHL could have developed him better. He is a lazy player that relies on his skills. He has nothing else.

 

[krutovsdonut]

I am not going to use Kravstov as an example for Russian player/wingers as a whole. He's just a highly drafted guy who didn't make it. The fact that he is Russian has nothing to do with anything. We can all come up with lists of highly ranked players from North America, or the EU, that also failed to develop.

i think he's a good example of a familiar type of russian player. over the years, there seem to be a lot of russians who are talented enough to play top 6 in the nhl but cannot or will not do it.