Confirmed with Link: Kravtsov requests trade

[Tawnos]

Yeah, I mean, it doesn't help the Rangers organization to have Kravtsov doing what he's doing. If you thought having Gallant reach out could help resolve the situation, why would you not do that as Drury?

Exactly. And at the very least he went to Drury and said, "hey Chris, is it alright with you if I reach out to the kid?" and Drury just said ok. Maybe they strategized further, maybe not. It's hard to imagine that goes down without any Drury knowledge at all, especially since Gallant wasn't hired all that long ago.

 

[Kocur26]

Get him back already!!! Gallant calling him up is huge, f*** Drury, love he overstepped him to reach out. Drury so far has been so underwhelming as GM. Kravstov will be a very good player in the NHL, and i hope it’s for us.

Is this true ?

he called him over Drury ?

 

[Kovalev27]

Get him back already!!! Gallant calling him up is huge, f*** Drury, love he overstepped him to reach out. Drury so far has been so underwhelming as GM. Kravstov will be a very good player in the NHL, and i hope it’s for us.

First off I don’t believe he called him. Just not gallants style. But I’m sure as shot positive gallant didn’t just call him and go over Drurys head. That’s an absurd claim

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Can someone fill me in on what happened with Drury? Why did he yell at Kravtsov?

 

[DialUp]

Can someone fill me in on what happened with Drury? Why did he yell at Kravtsov?

He caught VK not folding his pizza when he was eating it.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Guys, you can forget about Kravtsov.

If the current team fails, this generational talent is guaranteed to pull a Fox and force his way to NYR and lead us to the promised land in 18ish years.
View attachment 472169

Lacking the size to truly make it at the NHL level.

Congrats dude!

 

[nyr2k2]

Is this true ?

he called him over Drury ?

I haven't seen that reported anywhere. What I've seen reported is that Gallant reached out directly to Kravtsov. There was no additional context provided. It was in Friedman's Thoughts earlier.

"According to a couple of sources, Rangers’ coach Gerard Gallant personally called Vitali Kravtsov to ask the forward to consider returning. Kravtsov is in Russia, but several teams say they’ve been told he wants to play in the NHL, not stay overseas. He went home to find a comfortable spot to skate and be ready. Getting him to come back to New York will take some serious convincing, as it’s not his preference. He’d like a fresh start. New York is asking a high price for the 2018 first-rounder, but there’s legitimate interest. It’s a poker game."

32 Thoughts: NHL should create salary cap exceptions

Can someone fill me in on what happened with Drury? Why did he yell at Kravtsov?

I believe what's being discussed is this:

"According to multiple league sources, the friction between Kravtsov and Chris Drury dates back to October 2019. Kravtsov didn’t make the Rangers out of camp as a 19-year-old and didn’t enjoy his first stay in AHL Hartford. He exercised the out clause in his contract to return to the KHL, where he’d played the prior two seasons.

Sources say that when Kravtsov went to retrieve his gear and say his goodbyes to Wolfpack teammates and staff, Drury told Kravtsov that he’d “quit” on the team.

Kravtsov would ultimately return to the organization and to Hartford less than two months later after a mediocre KHL stint. He joined the Rangers in the Toronto bubble for the team’s brief 2020 playoff appearance and there was, again according to multiple sources, an incident between Kravtsov and Drury in which the young forward was dressed down by the then-assistant GM for not working hard enough. That happened on the ice in full view of teammates.

Kravtsov also missed the bus from the team hotel to the rink one day in the Toronto bubble, which led to further frustration in the organization, according to multiple sources."

Inside the Rangers-Vitali Kravtsov divorce: Why they can't make it work, and what comes next

 

[smoneil]

The question many now ask is why was he demoted? The obvious reason is being that he was waivers-exempt along with Morgan Barron and the team felt that they could lose players who had to be waived. In other words, it was strictly a waivers-driven decision. But no one will dare say that. Was he beaten out of a roster spot? Maybe. Maybe not… Was this a personally biased based decision made solely by upper Management? Very possibly, yes…

In general, your timeline is excellent and useful, but I disagree with the editorializing in this paragraph. How is the waivers issue the "obvious reason"? We know from repeated statements that Gallant wasn't considering him for a 4th line role. We can assume, based on that, that he wasn't considering Kravtsov for a spare forward role (if 4th line use isn't enough minutes, then no minutes hardly makes sense).

That means that Kravtsov was competing against the following players for a roster spot: Kreider, Panarin, Kakko, Lafreniere, Goodrow, Gauthier, and Blais. All of the top six wingers outplayed Kravtsov handily. Which left him in a competition with Gauthier, Goodrow, and Blais. Goodrow's spot was locked in before camp started (and again, as a new UFA signing who just spent two years as part of the best 3rd line in hockey, he's earned that in a way that Kravtsov hasn't). Which leaves Gauthier and Blais. Blais outscored Kravtsov (literally beating the kid at the area where he most should have dominated) 3 points to 1, with two of his points (a goal and an assist) coming at even strength. You mention that Krav had a highlight reel goal. Is that better than Blais's two goals and an assist? Add to that Blais's hitting, defense, and NHL track record? There is literally no area other than draft position where Krav beat Blais. He should have. We expected him to. But he didn't. And that's on Kravtsov.

The leaves Gauthier. I thought both players honestly had their moments good and bad, but at this point, they were competing not for a starting role, but for the spare forward role. Kravtsov has more talent that Gaut, and I thought (before this second temper tantrum) that he was far more likely to reach that potential. So it actually makes sense, and shows good faith in Kravtsov to send him down. He's the one they want to develop. If Drury is a Voldemortian villain, then Kravtsov is his Harry Potter and Gauthier is his Cedric Diggory. Keeping Gaut on the roster in the 13th forward spot was "killing the spare."

Nobody has shown me one thing--other than an unsourced hot take from a beat reporter immediately when the roster was announced--that this move had anything to do with waivers. Kravtsov is not on the team right now because he was beat by six other guys. Period. Once those six guys beat him, the players on the fourth line and the spare F and Ds were completely irrelevant.

 

[smoneil]

Can someone fill me in on what happened with Drury? Why did he yell at Kravtsov?

He doesn't think there was enough sweat in his sweatpants.

 

[n8]

I'd be really curious to hear a panel of GMs address how they manage short term success (get to the playoffs this season) vs long term success (develop our players so they are our stars or they are valuable assets to get us stars)
It's going to be a ratio of how much you put into short term vs long term but I feel like the Rangers have been perpetually stuck in the 90% short term success stream. Long term roster decisions doesn't seem to be a thing.
Like a really strong trend every year seems to be 1) several promising rookies 2) Rangers sign 3 UFAs that take up roster spots 3) said UFAs have no long term impact on the team
I feel like Rooney, Blackwell, Grabner were the few UFAs that actually played well but players like McKegg, Diuseppe, Haley, Carey, Desharnais, Pirri, Jooris, Tanner freaking Glass. ok, well we know why tough guys were signed but thinking that there might have been some players who could have developed if they weren't roster blocked by these cold bodies gets infuriating at times.

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

He caught VK not folding his pizza when he was eating it.

 

[Tawnos]

The leaves Gauthier. I thought both players honestly had their moments good and bad, but at this point, they were competing not for a starting role, but for the spare forward role. Kravtsov has more talent that Gaut, and I thought (before this second temper tantrum) that he was far more likely to reach that potential. So it actually makes sense, and shows good faith in Kravtsov to send him down. He's the one they want to develop. If Drury is a Voldemortian villain, then Kravtsov is his Harry Potter and Gauthier is his Cedric Diggory. Keeping Gaut on the roster in the 13th forward spot was "killing the spare."

Nobody has shown me one thing--other than an unsourced hot take from a beat reporter immediately when the roster was announced--that this move had anything to do with waivers. Kravtsov is not on the team right now because he was beat by six other guys. Period. Once those six guys beat him, the players on the fourth line and the spare F and Ds were completely irrelevant.

I think the bolded is a really solid point, although I think it requires an expectation of good faith to see it. In Kravtsov's eyes, rightly or wrongly, that good faith didn't exist.

Regarding the waivers issue, no one is reporting it as a factor with Kravtsov in the aftermath of all this, but before the final cuts were made every beat writer looked at the waivers issue. The thought was planted for a lot of people then.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I haven't seen that reported anywhere. What I've seen reported is that Gallant reached out directly to Kravtsov. There was no additional context provided. It was in Friedman's Thoughts earlier.

"According to a couple of sources, Rangers’ coach Gerard Gallant personally called Vitali Kravtsov to ask the forward to consider returning. Kravtsov is in Russia, but several teams say they’ve been told he wants to play in the NHL, not stay overseas. He went home to find a comfortable spot to skate and be ready. Getting him to come back to New York will take some serious convincing, as it’s not his preference. He’d like a fresh start. New York is asking a high price for the 2018 first-rounder, but there’s legitimate interest. It’s a poker game."

32 Thoughts: NHL should create salary cap exceptionsI believe what's being discussed is this:

"According to multiple league sources, the friction between Kravtsov and Chris Drury dates back to October 2019. Kravtsov didn’t make the Rangers out of camp as a 19-year-old and didn’t enjoy his first stay in AHL Hartford. He exercised the out clause in his contract to return to the KHL, where he’d played the prior two seasons.

Sources say that when Kravtsov went to retrieve his gear and say his goodbyes to Wolfpack teammates and staff, Drury told Kravtsov that he’d “quit” on the team.

Kravtsov would ultimately return to the organization and to Hartford less than two months later after a mediocre KHL stint. He joined the Rangers in the Toronto bubble for the team’s brief 2020 playoff appearance and there was, again according to multiple sources, an incident between Kravtsov and Drury in which the young forward was dressed down by the then-assistant GM for not working hard enough. That happened on the ice in full view of teammates.

Kravtsov also missed the bus from the team hotel to the rink one day in the Toronto bubble, which led to further frustration in the organization, according to multiple sources."

Inside the Rangers-Vitali Kravtsov divorce: Why they can't make it work, and what comes next

I dont understand, you said you didnt see that reported anywhere, then post the quote where Friedman literally said Gallant reached out to him lol. And Friedman is one of the best around.

 

[DialUp]

I dont understand, you said you didnt see that reported anywhere, then post the quote where Friedman literally said Gallant reached out to him lol. And Friedman is one of the best around.

what he didn't see reported is if he went over Drury's head when he called VK.

 

[DialUp]

In general, your timeline is excellent and useful, but I disagree with the editorializing in this paragraph. How is the waivers issue the "obvious reason"? We know from repeated statements that Gallant wasn't considering him for a 4th line role. We can assume, based on that, that he wasn't considering Kravtsov for a spare forward role (if 4th line use isn't enough minutes, then no minutes hardly makes sense).

That means that Kravtsov was competing against the following players for a roster spot: Kreider, Panarin, Kakko, Lafreniere, Goodrow, Gauthier, and Blais. All of the top six wingers outplayed Kravtsov handily. Which left him in a competition with Gauthier, Goodrow, and Blais. Goodrow's spot was locked in before camp started (and again, as a new UFA signing who just spent two years as part of the best 3rd line in hockey, he's earned that in a way that Kravtsov hasn't). Which leaves Gauthier and Blais. Blais outscored Kravtsov (literally beating the kid at the area where he most should have dominated) 3 points to 1, with two of his points (a goal and an assist) coming at even strength. You mention that Krav had a highlight reel goal. Is that better than Blais's two goals and an assist? Add to that Blais's hitting, defense, and NHL track record? There is literally no area other than draft position where Krav beat Blais. He should have. We expected him to. But he didn't. And that's on Kravtsov.

The leaves Gauthier. I thought both players honestly had their moments good and bad, but at this point, they were competing not for a starting role, but for the spare forward role. Kravtsov has more talent that Gaut, and I thought (before this second temper tantrum) that he was far more likely to reach that potential. So it actually makes sense, and shows good faith in Kravtsov to send him down. He's the one they want to develop. If Drury is a Voldemortian villain, then Kravtsov is his Harry Potter and Gauthier is his Cedric Diggory. Keeping Gaut on the roster in the 13th forward spot was "killing the spare."

Nobody has shown me one thing--other than an unsourced hot take from a beat reporter immediately when the roster was announced--that this move had anything to do with waivers. Kravtsov is not on the team right now because he was beat by six other guys. Period. Once those six guys beat him, the players on the fourth line and the spare F and Ds were completely irrelevant.

Everything here is what actually happened when it comes to the decision for him not making the team, 100%. Just saying, I was calling this when the 23 man roster was dropped but instead we wanted to go the "Vince" route and blame Hajek...

 

[Profet]

View attachment 472315

Damnit man, we live in a society.

 

[nyr2k2]

I dont understand, you said you didnt see that reported anywhere, then post the quote where Friedman literally said Gallant reached out to him lol. And Friedman is one of the best around.

I'm saying I didn't see a report that Gallant "went rogue" so to speak and reached out without Drury's knowledge or permission. No one has reported or even implied that, to my knowledge.

 

[UnSandvich]

Tbh if those reports are true, i can understand Kravtsov not wanting to play for Drury. There's a level of "suck it up & deal with it" to any job, but when you get berated in front of the entire rest of the team by the same person, multiple times, I can understand him believing Drury's got a personal issue with him (rightly or wrongly). And at that point, if i'm Kravtsov, i'm not doing you any favors beyond what it takes to get myself out of town quicker.

It's a shitty situation all around, and one that should've been dealt with WELL before it reached this point.

 

[Tawnos]

Tbh if those reports are true, i can understand Kravtsov not wanting to play for Drury. There's a level of "suck it up & deal with it" to any job, but when you get berated in front of the entire rest of the team by the same person, multiple times, I can understand him believing Drury's got a personal issue with him (rightly or wrongly). And at that point, if i'm Kravtsov, i'm not doing you any favors beyond what it takes to get myself out of town quicker.

It's a shitty situation all around, and one that should've been dealt with WELL before it reached this point.

I don't disagree with your portrayal of Kravtsov's position here, but the problem I have is that Kravtsov isn't "doing what it takes to get himself out of town quicker." He's doing the opposite.

Things are also a little different when you sign a contract, even in non-sports jobs.

 

[Crease]

Not that I don’t believe the reports, but I’m having a difficult time visioning Drury yelling at someone. Just never saw him as that kind of guy.

 

[UnSandvich]

I don't disagree with your portrayal of Kravtsov's position here, but the problem I have is that Kravtsov isn't "doing what it takes to get himself out of town quicker." He's doing the opposite.

Things are also a little different when you sign a contract, even in non-sports jobs.

I mean, he did say he'd play in the AHL for other teams. That's...something, right?

 

[Tawnos]

I mean, he did say he'd play in the AHL for other teams. That's...something, right?

I'm not entirely sure it does more good than harm.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Not that I don’t believe the reports, but I’m having a difficult time visioning Drury yelling at someone. Just never saw him as that kind of guy.

He wont let Kravtsov defecting back to Russia ruin his Christmas

 

[bobbop]

It's not "going rogue" for a coach to call back a player and try and make peace. I'm sure Gallant let Drury know what he was doing. I fact, Drury may have encouraged it.

Kravtsov's agent, Dan Milstein is well known to be very aggressive but also someone who looks for win-win solutions. I am sure he has been in contact with Drury. Milstein apparently has a good relationship with Ryan Martin, the Rangers new Assistant GM.

Drury is doing what any GM worth his salt would do. Stand up to the player and not cave. He will trade the player if he can find a good deal (possibly) He will let Kravtsov sit out the whole year (unlikely) and then toll his contract if he does (likely) He will not do anything that will diminish his standing in the eyes of his other 23 players (certain)

You almost know how this is going to end.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

It's not "going rogue" for a coach to call back a player and try and make peace. I'm sure Gallant let Drury know what he was doing. I fact, Drury may have encouraged it.

Kravtsov's agent, Dan Milstein is well known to be very aggressive but also someone who looks for win-win solutions. I am sure he has been in contact with Drury. Milstein apparently has a good relationship with Ryan Martin, the Rangers new Assistant GM.

Drury is doing what any GM worth his salt would do. Stand up to the player and not cave. He will trade the player if he can find a good deal (possibly) He will let Kravtsov sit out the whole year (unlikely) and then toll his contract if he does (likely) He will not do anything that will diminish his standing in the eyes of his other 23 players (certain)

You almost know how this is going to end.

How?