Larry Brooks: Vitaly Kravtsov headed back to the KHL

[NernieBichols]

IDK. I'm as patient as they come with prospects. I have no problem waiting on guys to develop. I don't like guys coming and finding that they're not in the right "mental space" and then packing up. For me, growing up, you started something, then you were committed to it. If you didn't see it through for any reason other than you were like on life support or something, then you were quitting. You sign your contract and say I'm going to play in North America, then you ****ing do it. Don't quit on it. Different worldviews, I guess.

Except he signed a deal with a European assignment clause for this season, so this was his contract and it was important enough to him to require it in the 1st place if he was deciding to come over this year.

Man I really wish I woke up 2 hrs later. I woke up so early I have to kill a couple hrs before I the sun comes up. Reading this thread and responding Is not the wisest conservation of energy

 

[NernieBichols]

His commitment should be about becoming the best hockey player he can become. He didn't quit, he changed the path he was on. The goal is still the same. The reason he changed the direction is up for debate, but I don't think his commitment towards that goal should be. Particularly since we've never heard a whiff of motivational or behavioral issues around him.

Besides, who cares how you grew up? This isn't about you. I don't find it especially valid for you to put your childhood instilled values on someone else, particularly not someone else from another culture. Guess what? I grew up with the same worldview. It's not germane to trying to understand what's going on here.

Classic pick up your bootstraps and walk through whatever shit we throw your way, well cuz if your fit and able to be a cog, you’ll bend to our worldview and call it your own, and then have an ego identity for consenting/accepting everything and then come to a hockey blog talking ‘worldviews’

 

[Zine]

What a joke. A freakin joke.
The rangers first job was to get the kid to sign to prevent a KHL team from signing him to a super lucrative deal before the rangers could lock him in.


Some of you guys would have risked losing kravtsov until he was dadanovs age.

Shakes my head at how people spend some much time and energy on this stuff and miss what’s really going on and important

If the Rangers subsequently felt the need to get Kravtsov to NY asap to prevent him from signing long-term in the KHL, perhaps their scouting department needs a better player vetting process.

Anyone with a brain should've seen this spectacle coming from a mile away. Kravtsov was completely rushed.

 

[NernieBichols]

If the Rangers subsequently felt the need to get Kravtsov to NY asap to prevent him from signing long-term in the KHL, perhaps their scouting department needs a better player vetting process.

Anyone with a brain should've seen this spectacle coming from a mile away. Kravtsov was completely rushed.

You don’t get it

You completely missed the point


And to all you masterminds: maybe the rangers signed kravtsov now, to help get rykov and shestorkyin signed who they were really worried would sign long lucrative deals in Russia and never come over. So they felt signing kravtsov will encourage the others to sign.

He was the 1st to sign. But anyone with a brain would see what you do right?

 

[Maylo]

From 4:15
I'm sure russian speaking fans will translate this.

 

[Ola]

Kravtsov would have to get out a plane in Russian and turn around and hop on a plane back to NY if Gorton called him up to the rangers today.

That’s the rub. That’s why gorts wanted him signed. Bc now he has the guy under contract and control.

Yeah, it’s certainly not a disaster. Everything can — and I would certainly bet on that it will — work out well.

Just, like, annoying. Why? Because we don’t have control of things. Don’t know how things will work out. Wrong calculations.

We have made changes and things may or may not get better. But I know where we are in this position now — and it’s quite simple to explain, the last 15 years we haven’t had people at key positions that have worked harder and performed better than their counter parts in the other organizations. I mean there are no short cuts, ever, anywhere. You can surround yourself with friends and family or people with impeccable CVs, but in the end you must have a clear objective to do everything better than a bunch of other professionals trying their best.

Under Slats, we where never even in the running. The last years we have been run by one man who obvi didn’t have time to take care of the farm system and for some reasons wanted to surround himself with people that wouldn’t get in his way (fresh guys like Drury, Orts and co).

Now we have started to put a little effort into that side of the organization. Maybe JD is the smartest best guy on the planet that best understand the modern game and it’s challenges, after all he commented games for MSG and played goalie a few centuries ago. We will see. Like when we signed Knoblauch it’s the first move in like a decade that in any way indicated that we aimed high as an organization.

But there won’t be any short cuts or any scenario in which we come out as the top organization without being the organization that worked the hardest. JMHO.

 

[NernieBichols]

Yeah, it’s certainly not a disaster. Everything can — and I would certainly bet on that it will — work out well.

Just, like, annoying. Why? Because we don’t have control of things. Don’t know how things will work out. Wrong calculations.

We have made changes and things may or may not get better. But I know where we are in this position now — and it’s quite simple to explain, the last 15 years we haven’t had people at key positions that have worked harder and performed better than their counter parts in the other organizations. I mean there are no short cuts, ever, anywhere. You can surround yourself with friends and family or people with impeccable CVs, but in the end you must have a clear objective to do everything better than a bunch of other professionals trying their best.

Under Slats, we where never even in the running. The last years we have been run by one man who obvi didn’t have time to take care of the farm system and for some reasons wanted to surround himself with people that wouldn’t get in his way (fresh guys like Drury, Orts and co).

Now we have started to put a little effort into that side of the organization. Maybe JD is the smartest best guy on the planet that best understand the modern game and it’s challenges, after all he commented games for MSG and played goalie a few centuries ago. We will see.

But there won’t be any short cuts or any scenario in which we come out as the top organization without being the organization that worked the hardest. JMHO.

That’s why when kravtsov is pouting in Hartford you can’t just pacify the kid by giving him top mins and/or calling him up. Wrong message to every player in the organization

 

[Ola]

That’s why when kravtsov is pouting in Hartford you can’t just pacify the kid by giving him top mins and/or calling him up. Wrong message to every player in the organization

It should be very uncommon for a professional organization to get to that point to start with. Someone should have sat down with Kravy in the summer and explained what his status would be in the AHL, how there would be an adjustment period, how there would be some video work early just to get into the play down there etc.

I think it’s extremely alarming if we send a player to the AHL without knowing before hand exactly how it will work out, what his usage will be and so forth.

 

[Ori]

Yes I`m concerned as well.

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

Lots of issues with our young players.

Would be nice to see one of them come up and make an impact.

”Lots of issues”
Srsly like what? You expect every player to come up and dominate like mcdavid?
The players are individuals who take time to progress, gain strenght and learn the game.
Most of our young guns were drafted 2-3 years ago. Mika is a great example of how long it can take for a player to progress.

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

Imo this is a great move.

 

[ijuka]

Makes sense. At Jr Worlds I thought he played a very selfish solo-style game that didn't look suitable for pro hockey. A lot of overhype went around over here.

Regardless, benching him in AHL is odd. They should have tried to develop him better even if he wasn't playing the way the coaching staff wanted. If you can't develop players in AHL, it's time to get a new coach.

 

[nyr2k2]

Except he signed a deal with a European assignment clause for this season, so this was his contract and it was important enough to him to require it in the 1st place if he was deciding to come over this year.

Man I really wish I woke up 2 hrs later. I woke up so early I have to kill a couple hrs before I the sun comes up. Reading this thread and responding Is not the wisest conservation of energy

I understand he has an EAC, having some form of one is basically standard for every Russian coming over. Buch had one, Shesterkin has one, Kravtsov, Rykov, good old Bereglazov, etc. They all have some form of one. Of course it's his right to exercise it, and I wouldn't argue otherwise.

That still doesn't change my opinion about him choosing to do so. The only thing I can think of that would change my feelings on it is if we find out the Rangers were the driving factor in him heading back. But I've beaten this horse to death, resuscitated it, then beat it to death again.

 

[Maylo]

Regardless, benching him in AHL is odd.

In the interview in above video he says he was told ice time should be earned in AHL too, through practices and games and etc. And he says after 1st game(?) they told him his pulse wouldn't go up after practice or smth. implying he doesn't try hard enough.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong here: The one big issue I do have about the EAC in his first year of the ELC is that no matter what, it’s wasting the opportunity to have a productive player on a cheap contract. This wasn’t an issue with Kuzy (who also had a cheap bridge deal through 15-17) or Tarasenko because they signed their ELCs already after they developed in the KHL and dominated that league. Kravtsov is already burning one year off of his ELC, and regardless of what happens in the KHL, he has an obligation to the Rangers next season. However, if he struggles again, he’s stuck dealing with it in Hartford.

I hope this won’t be an issue, but the timing is pretty unfortunate. The best we can hope for is him going back home builds his confidence back up and puts him in a better overall position to accept criticism from his coaches here and develop his game at the pace of North American hockey.

Now for the trolling part: @Edge I told you all Farabee would have been a good pick at 9

Tell me about your experience moving to another country

Do you really not see what poster (and whatever other accounts they have now) you’re responding to here? It’s an obvious troll account, and anyone giving them attention is just wasting everyone else’s time.

 

[kovazub94]

From 4:15
I'm sure russian speaking fans will translate this.

Nothing earth shattering.

Said there were multiple factors but he didn’t want to delve into them. About being cut from the Rangers he was told that they wanted him getting top-6 minutes in Hartford instead of limited minutes to stay with the Rangers. In Hartford they clearly didn’t like his effort noting a low heart rate during games / while on ice. Kravtsov noted that he always had a low heart rate. He also was not ready to play straight line NA style of hockey. Said he’d probably be in KHL the whole season even though the Rangers have an option to recall him.

IMHO He should have stayed in Hartford. Situation in Chelyabinsk is not ideal. Coaching is being questioned again, just like at the start of last season with Titov. This time is because the team is in the last place because its scoring is even lower than last year, as impossible as it sounds.

 

[Maylo]

IMHO He should have stayed in Hartford. Situation in Chelyabinsk is not ideal.

Yeah, considering this interview and Yeronko article, that Kravtsov doesn't really want to play for current Traktor coach and no(good) team in KHL will pay for him since he is under NHL contract, this year is kinda waste.

 

[Edge]

So I can put my pitchfork away?

Yes please. And the TNT...

 

[Edge]

Someone correct me if I’m wrong here: The one big issue I do have about the EAC in his first year of the ELC is that no matter what, it’s wasting the opportunity to have a productive player on a cheap contract. This wasn’t an issue with Kuzy (who also had a cheap bridge deal through 15-17) or Tarasenko because they signed their ELCs already after they developed in the KHL and dominated that league. Kravtsov is already burning one year off of his ELC, and regardless of what happens in the KHL, he has an obligation to the Rangers next season. However, if he struggles again, he’s stuck dealing with it in Hartford.

I hope this won’t be an issue, but the timing is pretty unfortunate. The best we can hope for is him going back home builds his confidence back up and puts him in a better overall position to accept criticism from his coaches here and develop his game at the pace of North American hockey.

Now for the trolling part: @Edge I told you all Farabee would have been a good pick at 9



Do you really not see what poster (and whatever other accounts they have now) you’re responding to here? It’s an obvious troll account, and anyone giving them attention is just wasting everyone else’s time.

You don’t have to sell me on Farabee. He was my favorite in that 2018 draft.

The fact that he’s on Philly is going to give my heartburn.

 

[RangerBoy]

BTW, I'm willing to bet that most people didn't know that he has this clause in his contract and that it's temporary. Wouldn't a more responsible title inform people of that? People might get a heart attack thinking he's leaving the Rangers for good.

Wrong. The clause was reported when the contract was signed. Other players have had European assignment clauses and they decided to stick it out and make it work. Orlov could have gone back to the KHL instead of playing in the AHL. He stayed. Kravstov ran back to Russia after not giving the AHL any opportunity. The season is barely 3 weeks old and he is gone. It’s a long season. Maybe we could have been ready in December or January after playing 2-3 months in the AHL. The Rangers will back at square one with him next season. It’s a wasted season of development.

 

[Lua]

After reading just about every post on this board wrt VK's NA adventure, I can't bring myself to understand the assumption that VK being scratched and benched is the result of Hartford's coaching staff being unfair and "vindictive", or "mishandling him" rather than an individual failure to play to the standards they know he is capable of, or even put in the effort to make the adjustments he needs to make to sniff NHL standards. His play in NA was alarmingly poor, and I'm talking about his supposed strengths here, i.e. his play with the puck. There is too much smoke that suggests a personality/attitude/effort issue to just wave away that possibility.

Put me in the "not a good look for the kid" camp. He's still so, so young, though. It's a step backwards to be sure, but not a nosedive into the Atlantic.

 

[Kovalev27]

So he’s not ready for NA hockey but going to one of the worst teams in the KHL with shit coaching they cannot score is going to help him? Smart move kid.

he would have been one of the first call ups if he actually put his head down and tried to actually play hockey in Hartford. Instead he left the first day he was eligible to leave. Never once made an effort.

make zero mistake this is not on the NYR organization this is on the bratty 19 year old completely

 

[Rangerfans]

Funny how quickly these boards, all of them, change the status of prospects from blue chip to bust at a moment’s notice.

We are a very reactionary fan base. People want DQ fires, Kakko is a bust, and the Rangers are killing the youth.

 

[Edge]

We are a very reactionary fan base. People want DQ fires, Kakko is a bust, and the Rangers are killing the youth.

I also think message boards allow people to go more over the top than they would in a face-to-face, day-to-day setting.

Then a person reacting goes a step further, and then another person takes it a step further, until eventually it almost resembles a WWF promo.

I think disappointment can exist in a situation without having to be married to disaster.

 

[Rangerfans]

I also think message boards allow people to go more over the top than they would in a face-to-face, day-to-day setting.

Then a person reacting goes a step further, and then another person takes it a step further, until eventually it almost resembles a WWF promo.

I think disappointment can exist in a situation without having to be married to disaster.

Agreed. Personally, I don’t think it’s the best decision for him, but that’s easy for me to say whom grew up in this country. That’s a lot on this kid. I’m sure it’s a lot for Kakko, but he seems more ready for the challenge.