Player Discussion Vitali Kravtsov - Signed 2-Year Deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk

[EdJovanovski]

"A big, skilled winger that can play up and down the lineup and provide scoring in a number of roles. He brings grit and physical size, but could be more assertive in throwing his weight around more. Displays excellent speed on the rush and in zone entry, but could backcheck quicker. Plays well in his own end and takes away lanes. Very good hands and awareness. Kravtsov has the potential to develop into a staple top six forward that can produce at the next level." [EP]

“One of the few players who truly appreciates the aesthetics of the sport and aims not only to win games, but to provide a beautiful visual experience to fans. Watch him in slow motion and it’s truly mesmerizing. His skates melt through the top layer of ice like a knife through butter, crossovers with the grace of ballet on ice; his wavy dirty blonde locs flowing in the wind behind him are just the icing on the cake. He's a true marvel to watch. Kravtsov studies the game, he actually did college courses on sports management and coaching; when he’s out there he isn’t simply a player. Players have become a cog in the wheel, nobody has revolutionized the sport since Patrick Roy with the Butterfly; but Kravtsov is the next revolution in hockey. He is crafting a performance art, all of the drama surrounding him is part of his theatrical nature and will build up into his redemption arc. He has already strategized his entire career with the precision of a Machiavellian genius. Most NHL players play checkers, the McDavids & MacKinnons play chess, Gretzky played 4D chess; Kravtsov plays underwater Madden NFL '06. He takes cues from Elizabethan theatre but with a veneer of the early wave of post-modern satirist playwrites, if you’ve ever dove into Anton Chekhov’s early works some of Kravtsov’s plays will start making a little more sense. Through the eyes of a modern day hockey fan they might not "get" Kravtsov yet, but in the future when stats become advanced enough they'll be able to pin down exactly what it was that made him so special. In a few hundred years his game tape will be in museums, and I'm not talking in the HoF, I'm talking in the Louvre. Kravtsov is bigger than hockey. Gretzky may have been "The Great One", but Kravtsov is "The Chosen One"..." [EJ]

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[Baby Pettersson]

Put him with Pete and let's see what happens.

 

[Gstank]

Those hands are probably what got him drafted in the top 10. Filithy mitts

 

[Nucker101]

Ed's gonna lose it when Tocchet lines him up next to Sheldon Dries for 10 minutes per game

Or better yet, Bozo Miller!

 

[Phrasing]

Based on his highlights he’s giving me Robbie Shremp vibes. Lots of repeated stickhandles and slick moves, playing 1on1, and individually. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to use his teammates, plays with tunnel-vision trying to focus on beating players 1on1, and doesn’t understand positioning.

I don’t think he will last with Tocchet until he learns to play to win rather than to get the best move off.

Again, totally based off highlights, have not watched him in-game so I’ll be happy to be wrong.

 

[PG Canuck]

Kuzmenko - Pettersson - Kravstov
Podkolzin - Miller - Beauvillier

See how it does in garbage time. Give Kravstov a legitimate chance. Guessing they might flip Beau and Kravstov, and leave Pod on third line though.

 

[RobertKron]

Based on his highlights he’s giving me Robbie Shremp vibes. Lots of repeated stickhandles and slick moves, playing 1on1, and individually. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to use his teammates, plays with tunnel-vision trying to focus on beating players 1on1, and doesn’t understand positioning.

I don’t think he will last with Tocchet until he learns to play to win rather than to get the best move off.

Again, totally based off highlights, have not watched him in-game so I’ll be happy to be wrong.

Along with being unwilling to play anything but "Rob Schremp Hockey," Schremp also couldn't skate for shit.

 

[Nucker101]

Kuzmenko - Pettersson - Kravstov
Podkolzin - Miller - Beauvillier

See how it does in garbage time. Give Kravstov a legitimate chance. Guessing they might flip Beau and Kravstov, and leave Pod on third line though.

Tocchet preaches a lot of north-south so I'm not sure he's going to love Kravstov enough to give him an extended look in the top 6.

 

[Diversification]

Based on his highlights he’s giving me Robbie Shremp vibes. Lots of repeated stickhandles and slick moves, playing 1on1, and individually. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to use his teammates, plays with tunnel-vision trying to focus on beating players 1on1, and doesn’t understand positioning.

I don’t think he will last with Tocchet until he learns to play to win rather than to get the best move off.

Again, totally based off highlights, have not watched him in-game so I’ll be happy to be wrong.

Going off that hype video, he sure does like that one move between the legs. I don't like his chances of reviving his career here. But I guess the price of admission to find out was essentially free and we're in garbage time where every tank commander is welcome, so whatevs.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

He has some serious skill, hopefully being around Kuzmenko, Micheyev, and Podkolzin will help him round out his game into an everyday NHLer.

 

[RebuildinVan]

Put him with Pete and let's see what happens.

If he has any hockey sense he'll get points by default with Petey

 

[Angry Little Elf]

He has some serious skill, hopefully being around Kuzmenko, Micheyev, and Podkolzin will help him round out his game into an everyday NHLer.

Gonchar too

 

[Bitz and Bites]

Gonchar too

Yes, he seems like a guy who could use some serious mentoring and hopefully he’s humble enough to take some good advice and adaptable enough to put it to use.

 

[Angry Little Elf]

Yes, he seems like a guy who could use some serious mentoring and hopefully he’s humble enough to take some good advice and adaptable enough to put it to use.

having someone who speaks your language is an incredible boost

 

[Canucks LB]

Put him with petey baby, that should raise his confidence

 

[PG Canuck]

If he has any hockey sense he'll get points by default with Petey

Well they also said the same thing about putting him with Panarin so

 

[VanJack]

Any chance he becomes the second coming of Val Nichushkin? Left the Stars as a disgruntled, former top-10 draft pick, and went back to the KHL. Now rejuvenated in Colorado and a key forward on their Stanley Cup run a year ago.

I guess as a Canuck fan, all you can do is hope......but whatever the outcome, it's a low risk-potentially high reward deal.

 

[credulous]

Any chance he becomes the second coming of Val Nichushkin? Left the Stars as a disgruntled, former top-10 draft pick, and went back to the KHL. Now rejuvenated in Colorado and a key forward on their Stanley Cup run a year ago.

zero chance. nichushkin was great off the puck and just couldn't convert. kravtsov is terrible off the puck and also can't convert

 

[Nucker101]

Any chance he becomes the second coming of Val Nichushkin? Left the Stars as a disgruntled, former top-10 draft pick, and went back to the KHL. Now rejuvenated in Colorado and a key forward on their Stanley Cup run a year ago.

I guess as a Canuck fan, all you can do is hope......but whatever the outcome, it's a low risk-potentially high reward deal.

Zero chance he becomes Nuke 2.0

 

[Slapshot_11]

Sounds like he thinks he too good to work on his deficiencies and get stronger from nyr fans

 

[mriswith]

Something has been rotten in the NYR system for forward development for a long time. I don't hold his actions against him as much as I would someone on a different team.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Contrary to popular belief, he is one of the best defensive players in the league.

 

[Diversification]

Zero chance he becomes Nuke 2.0

Sometimes getting traded is just the jolt a player needs. Not saying Kravtsov will become an elite match up winger like Nichuskin but maybe he can morph into a useful top 6 winger - a Kuzmenko-like player.

Or maybe he's gonna end up like Nikita Filatov...

I'm going with Filatov at this point, but you never know...

 

[M2Beezy]

Eddy Jay I love you, thanks for starting this thread

 

[MS]

My impression of Kravtsov is that he's big and fast and has some fancy dangles and if you give him time and space in transition he can make the sort of plays that look great in a Youtube compilation.

Unfortunately, that's maybe 10% of being a quality NHL top-6 forward. Puck support, board battles, cycling, vision and use of linemates, workrate all determine how much you'll actually produce and I don't think Kravtsov does well in any of these categories.

So I'm not overly optimistic he'll work out well here and I'm not overly optimistic he'll be a great fit with Tocchet ... but it's basically a free hit, practically a waiver claim. If he sucks, you move on. Maybe lightning will strike. He's never seemed overly happy in the Ranger organization so maybe a fresh start will be great for him.