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

[ChilliBilly]

KHL stats are meaningless. You have the likes of Goldobin, Boucher and Spooner lighting it up and none of them could hack it in the NHL. Kravtsov only gets attention because of he was taken absurdly high in the 2018 draft by Gorton who really knows how to pick them. No interest in Kravtsov anymore who refused AHL assignments because he thinks he doesn't need development. It shows a lot about his attitude.

This is a very inaccurate take. NY fans thought he got a very raw deal, and were pissed when they traded him. Yes he needs to work on some aspects of his game, but there is a ton of talent there, and he might end up being a great player for us in year or two.

 

[I Hart Conor Garland]

chatgpt showing cracks?

 

[Scumbag Frank]

ChatGPT scrapes from all sources, valid or invalid.
So that's why some takes sound like they're summarizing a generalized Vancouver Sun article and some are wild ass hot takes with incorrect facts

 

[Vancouver_2010]

Goldobin, Spooner and Boucher are in the top 6 of KHL scoring. Imagine these guys in a Canucks uniform!

can boucher even play in the nhl if he wants to? i think if Kravtsov has a outcause, can he at least come to training camp and see what he can do?

 

[MS]

The problem is that his production ... still really isn't that good,

He's producing at the same level on the same team as Semyon Der-Arguchintsev who is a failed D-turned-C Leaf prospect and well below a guy named Maxim Shabanov who is a year younger than him. There are a whole pile of 1999s and 2000s around the KHL that are doing about what Kravtsev is doing.

If he wants to get back to the NHL, his production has to pop and he has to be an elite player in that league, and so far that hasn't happened. Goldobin, on the other hand, has absolutely exploded there and he'll probably get another NHL look if he wants it.

 

[VanJack]

The problem is that his production ... still really isn't that good,

He's producing at the same level on the same team as Semyon Der-Arguchintsev who is a failed D-turned-C Leaf prospect and well below a guy named Maxim Shabanov who is a year younger than him. There are a whole pile of 1999s and 2000s around the KHL that are doing about what Kravtsev is doing.

If he wants to get back to the NHL, his production has to pop and he has to be an elite player in that league, and so far that hasn't happened. Goldobin, on the other hand, has absolutely exploded there and he'll probably get another NHL look if he wants it

According to Hockey DB, Kravtsov has 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 45 KHL games. And he missed a chuck of time through an injury earlier in the season.

So at the very least, he's on pace for 25-30 goals and 25-30 assists......which is nothing to sneeze at. If indeed those are his numbers at the end of the KHL season--it's easy to project that he'll be back at Canuck training camp next September. Especially when you consider the number of forwards the Canucks have who are impending UFA's.

 

[MS]

According to Hockey DB, Kravtsov has 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 45 KHL games. And he missed a chuck of time through an injury earlier in the season.

So at the very least, he's on pace for 25-30 goals and 25-30 assists......which is nothing to sneeze at. If indeed those are his numbers at the end of the KHL season--it's easy to project that he'll be back at Canuck training camp next September. Especially when you consider the number of forwards the Canucks have who are impending UFA's.

It's not 'terrible' but it's not a result that indicates future NHL success.

He's T-52 in KHL scoring and 42 in PPG. He has a substantially worse PPG than guys like Josh Leivo and Ryan Spooner. It's the sort of result you expect from a good scoring line AHL player, not a top-6 NHLer.

I'll be very surprised if he's in Canuck camp in September.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

This is a very inaccurate take. NY fans thought he got a very raw deal, and were pissed when they traded him. Yes he needs to work on some aspects of his game, but there is a ton of talent there, and he might end up being a great player for us in year or two.

His attitude sucks, until he fixes that, he has no future in the NHL, no matter how big of a man crush a certain poster on HF has on him.

 

[ChilliBilly]

His attitude sucks, until he fixes that, he has no future in the NHL, no matter how big of a man crush a certain poster on HF has on him.

did you read any of the articles from NY at the time of the trade. Lots of their fans thought he got a very raw deal, and that is attitude was fine ... at first, but after a few years of getting dicked around he refused to report to the AHL.

From a NY Paper: (posted about a week before the trade to VCR)

So who is to blame for all the drama? Well, both sides have to take part in the blame. On Kravtsov’s side, instead of going back to Russia multiple times, he could’ve worked hard down in Hartford and worked his way back to the NHL.


On the coaching side, Gallant has rarely given him a good amount of games to find his groove. He was supposed to play in the top six but has not gotten that opportunity. Overall, the Vitali Kravtsov saga has both sides to blame and the final chapter will be written in the next couple of weeks.

I understand preferring to play in Russia, and getting paid a lot more. The guy has talent. Yes, he is a long shot, but one that costs nothing. His acquisition cost was negligible.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

did you read any of the articles from NY at the time of the trade. Lots of their fans thought he got a very raw deal, and that is attitude was fine ... at first, but after a few years of getting dicked around he refused to report to the AHL.

From a NY Paper: (posted about a week before the trade to VCR)

So who is to blame for all the drama? Well, both sides have to take part in the blame. On Kravtsov’s side, instead of going back to Russia multiple times, he could’ve worked hard down in Hartford and worked his way back to the NHL.


On the coaching side, Gallant has rarely given him a good amount of games to find his groove. He was supposed to play in the top six but has not gotten that opportunity. Overall, the Vitali Kravtsov saga has both sides to blame and the final chapter will be written in the next couple of weeks.

I understand preferring to play in Russia, and getting paid a lot more. The guy has talent. Yes, he is a long shot, but one that costs nothing. His acquisition cost was negligible.

Ok he had a bad coach, one time, his attitude still sucks, that would in no way mesh with our coach.

Again he has not future here until he changes that, the KHL doesn't exactly excel at it either. Saying he is a long shot is generous at this point. He's a KHL lifer.

 

[VanJack]

It's not 'terrible' but it's not a result that indicates future NHL success.

He's T-52 in KHL scoring and 42 in PPG. He has a substantially worse PPG than guys like Josh Leivo and Ryan Spooner. It's the sort of result you expect from a good scoring line AHL player, not a top-6 NHLer.

I'll be very surprised if he's in Canuck camp in September.

Well, on a positive note, the comparisons to Andrei Kuzmenko, look good for Kravtsov. Kuzmenko's best season in the KHL was 2020-21 when he scored 20 goals and had 33 assists. And then got signed by Vancouver.

Prior to that, he averaged 14 goals and 19 assists with St. Petersburg SKA and CKSK Moscow over four seasons. In fact he never broke through the 40-point barrier.

Certainly nothing really to write home about. And obviously zero indication that he'd score 39 goals in his first season with the Canucks. But clearly their scouts were looking at a lot more than just points, when they decided to sign Kuzmenko to a contract.

So 55-60 points for Kravtsov certainly gets him on the Canucks radar again imo.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Ok he had a bad coach, one time, his attitude still sucks, that would in no way mesh with our coach.

Again he has not future here until he changes that, the KHL doesn't exactly excel at it either. Saying he is a long shot is generous at this point. He's a KHL lifer.

Disagree. I would say he is about the same as 2nd 3rd rounder at this point, namely 20 - 25% chance of playing 100 nHL games. Which is what Dobber uses as an NH career criteria. of course, thats Kinda cheating, since he already has 64 NHL games.

 

[MS]

Well, on a positive note, the comparisons to Andrei Kuzmenko, look good for Kravtsov. Kuzmenko's best season in the KHL was 2020-21 when he scored 20 goals and had 33 assists. And then got signed by Vancouver.

Prior to that, he averaged 14 goals and 19 assists with St. Petersburg SKA and CKSK Moscow over four seasons. In fact he never broke through the 40-point barrier.

Certainly nothing really to write home about. And obviously zero indication that he'd score 39 goals in his first season with the Canucks. But clearly their scouts were looking at a lot more than just points, when they decided to sign Kuzmenko to a contract.

So 55-60 points for Kravtsov certainly gets him on the Canucks radar again imo.

Kuzmenko was 2nd in the KHL in points and points/game that season and led his team in scoring by a wide margin.

Kravtsov is 52nd in points and 42nd in points/game, and is being significantly outscored by a younger undrafted player on his own team.

 

[VanJack]

I don't care if he was 'second in points in the KHL, and led his team in scoring by a wide margin'.

The stats on Hockey DB clearly show that in his last and best season in the KHL, Kuzmenko scored 20 goals and had 33 assists. So Kravtsov is set to sail well past those stats this season, despite being injured for 10 games.

So if the comparison between the two players is based strictly on KHL stats.....then clearly Kravtsov is younger and far better.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

Disagree. I would say he is about the same as 2nd 3rd rounder at this point, namely 20 - 25% chance of playing 100 nHL games. Which is what Dobber uses as an NH career criteria. of course, thats Kinda cheating, since he already has 64 NHL games.

Again until he changes his attitude, which likely ain't happening in the KHL, he has no hope of making the NHL, let alone on a team who's coach wouldn't put up with it for one second, he gets asked to go an improve in the AHL and runs back to Russia again, I honestly don't understand how anyone can have this players side given that. It's such a childish move to run away rather than be accountable.

 

[MS]

I don't care if he was 'second in points in the KHL, and led his team in scoring by a wide margin'.

The stats on Hockey DB clearly show that in his last and best season in the KHL, Kuzmenko scored 20 goals and had 33 assists. So Kravtsov is set to sail well past those stats this season, despite being injured for 10 games.

So if the comparison between the two players is based strictly on KHL stats.....then clearly Kravtsov is younger and far better.

What?

Kuzmenko put up 1.2 points/game. Kravtsov is at 0.7 points/game.

Both played 45 games in the seasons we're talking about. Kuzmenko put up 53 points. Kravtsov is at 32.

It isn't even close, and Kravtsov is absolutely not 'set to sail past' those numbers. He'd need to score 22 points in the last 12 games of the season to pass Kuzmenko's raw numbers, in substantially more games.

 

[RobertKron]

I don't care if he was 'second in points in the KHL, and led his team in scoring by a wide margin'.

The stats on Hockey DB clearly show that in his last and best season in the KHL, Kuzmenko scored 20 goals and had 33 assists. So Kravtsov is set to sail well past those stats this season, despite being injured for 10 games.

So if the comparison between the two players is based strictly on KHL stats.....then clearly Kravtsov is younger and far better.

What the f***?

Kuzmenko played 45 regular season games that season. Kravtsov has played 45 regular season games so far this season and has fewer total points than Kuzmenko had assists.

 

[RobertKron]

Has it been mentioned yet that this year Kravtsov is generating points at roughly the same rate as he did the last time he was in the KHL in 21/22?

I genuinely cannot understand why people are treating his current season as some kind of big revelation. It's so f***ing weird.

 

[Coffee]

Has it been mentioned yet that this year Kravtsov is generating points at roughly the same rate as he did the last time he was in the KHL in 21/22?

I genuinely cannot understand why people are treating his current season as some kind of big revelation. It's so f***ing weird.

I thought he’s putting up these points while also playing a strong 200ft game this year?

 

[Zine]

The problem is that his production ... still really isn't that good,

He's producing at the same level on the same team as Semyon Der-Arguchintsev who is a failed D-turned-C Leaf prospect and well below a guy named Maxim Shabanov who is a year younger than him. There are a whole pile of 1999s and 2000s around the KHL that are doing about what Kravtsev is doing.

If he wants to get back to the NHL, his production has to pop and he has to be an elite player in that league, and so far that hasn't happened. Goldobin, on the other hand, has absolutely exploded there and he'll probably get another NHL look if he wants it.

Production isn't linear between players/leagues. There are so many other factors that can enter into the equation.

Last year Voronkov was 7th in points on Ak Bars, finishing the year with less points than Kravtsov has now.
He's currently having no problem thriving as an NHLer.

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[VanJack]

Canucks were smart to qualify him and retain his rights. When as many as nine UFA's heading into next season, the Canucks are going to have openings, and a lot of them, in their forward group.

So retaining forward depth in the organization no matter where they're playing, makes sense.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Canucks were smart to qualify him and retain his rights. When as many as nine UFA's heading into next season, the Canucks are going to have openings, and a lot of them, in their forward group.

So retaining forward depth in the organization no matter where they're playing, makes sense.

Completely agree. But I think he is committed for another year to Traktor. Not sure what his options are for opting out, if any.

He is going to have a problem getting into the lineup, though, as most of the spots available are going to be in the bottom 6, and I suspect he's going to need to be in the top 6 if he is going to have an NHL career.

He isn't exactly a "Tocchet" type of player.

 

[MS]

Canucks were smart to qualify him and retain his rights. When as many as nine UFA's heading into next season, the Canucks are going to have openings, and a lot of them, in their forward group.

So retaining forward depth in the organization no matter where they're playing, makes sense.

If he returns it will be in 3-4 years.

The odds that Kravtsov is on an opening night Rick Tocchet roster in October 2024 are somewhere between 'pigs fly' and 'hell freezes'.

 

[EdJovanovski]