Larry Brooks: Vitaly Kravtsov headed back to the KHL

[RangersFan1994]

He can't re-sign in the KHL after this year. He has 2 years left on his ELC and doesn't have an EAC (European Assignment Clause) after this year. The NHL and KHL have agreed to honor each other's contracts, so they won't sign him as long as he is under contract in the NHL (and in the absence of an EAC).

I just hope he gets so tired of losing with the KHL that he comes back to 1st place Hartford Wolfpack

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Can he even come back at any time? I suppose, obviously latest when the KHL season is over.

 

[Ola]

Can he even come back at any time? I suppose, obviously latest when the KHL season is over.

We can recall him at any time.

 

[Ola]

I'm still annoyed by this, but not as much. I firmly believe that from an "experience" perspective he'd be better off in the AHL. However, if he simply can't handle being here at the moment, or everyone agrees he's not ready for it, the I guess KHL it is. Without knowing all the facts I could find plenty of blame for the player, or plenty for the team (or both). But the situation is what it is, and now it's just about hoping that what he's doing is what's best for him. I just hope he comes back more prepared, whether that's mentally, emotionally, physically, or whatever.

Is the experience perspective important though? I definitely would put the onus on developing his game over experience. The later can be picked up later, the former is harder to recover later in your career.

 

[nyr2k2]

Is the experience perspective important though? I definitely would put the onus on developing his game over experience. The later can be picked up later, the former is harder to recover later in your career.

I don't know why I used the word experience. Development is what I was talking about. I guess I meant "experience of developing your game in North America", LOL. My whole thing has been that I feel he'd develop better here. But what do I know.

 

[BKGooner]

My main concern with Kravstov's development was his ability to find time and space to use his skillset against NHL caliber defenses that have been prepared to stop him. He should get to the point he can handle that, but it's going to take time. A repeat run through the KHL will get him reps, but the larger ice will still enable his dipsy doodling tendencies.HeE could dominate the K, come back to the Rangers next year and still need some AHL time to find the right feel for the North American game. Hopefully, the front office gets the European development coach, Tuomo Ruutu, to spend some time following Traktor around and making sure this isnt a lost year.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

what if Kravtsov decides to resign with the KHL Traktor after this season, can he do that although he has a concert with NYR? what if he breaks that NHL contract?

IIHF rules prohibit this. If he breaches his NHL contract the IIHF will suspend him

 

[Gordon Bombay]

I'm gonna preface this by saying I'm not crazy about Kravtsov leaving BUT,

Not too long ago a young Zucc spent some time on the 4th line in the AHL, did nothing and jumped ship to the KHL. When he came back he was a much rounded player and stuck for good with us. He had Paul Maurice to teach him some of the NA ways but that at least gives me some hope for the kid.

 

[Machinehead]

Holy shit Traktor scored 4 goals?

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Holy **** Traktor scored 4 goals?

Enver Lisin FTW.

 

[ohbaby]

Watching that game last night, I just kept thinking about Kravstov. If he could have stuck it out, maybe he could of had a similar impact if he had stayed put. You can't really fault a 19 year kid for missing home but it seems like he could have had a chance to do something like the youngsters did last night.

He and the coaches in Hartford didn't see eye to eye. Got benched in his second game. Then was given limited minutes on the 4th line. When the whole point of him going to Hardford was to get top minutes he wouldn't get at the big club. I think he was mishandled. If after a week, he was dogging it, then sure, take action. But after one game with a kid not familiar with western ways? It smells really bad.

 

[Hanji]

I'm gonna preface this by saying I'm not crazy about Kravtsov leaving BUT,

Not too long ago a young Zucc spent some time on the 4th line in the AHL, did nothing and jumped ship to the KHL. When he came back he was a much rounded player and stuck for good with us. He had Paul Maurice to teach him some of the NA ways but that at least gives me some hope for the kid.

Dadonov too. He was wasting away in the AHL, played a few seasons in Russia and returned a borderline NHL 1st-liner.

We mistakenly think of the KHL as a monolithic entity, it’s not. Yea it’s more one dimensional on the whole but that doesn’t mean teams and coaches don't emphasize two way play. At least from the games I’ve seen. Two new guys in the league this year are great defensively, Gavrikov and Mikeyev. Mikeyev is as well rounded as you can get is an awesome steal for the leafs. At the end of the day everything is situational.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I'm gonna preface this by saying I'm not crazy about Kravtsov leaving BUT,

Not too long ago a young Zucc spent some time on the 4th line in the AHL, did nothing and jumped ship to the KHL. When he came back he was a much rounded player and stuck for good with us. He had Paul Maurice to teach him some of the NA ways but that at least gives me some hope for the kid.

Didn't he go there because of the half season lockout then came back when it was over?

 

[Harbour Dog]

Getting KHL updates on Kravtsov this year is not going to be exciting.

I don't care what his stats are, he just needs to continue developing physically and get himself into the right place mentally where he responds to a demotion as a challenge.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Didn't he go there because of the half season lockout then came back when it was over?

Actually, Zuccarello signed with the KHL before the lockout was announced

 

[Gordon Bombay]

Dadonov too. He was wasting away in the AHL, played a few seasons in Russia and returned a borderline NHL 1st-liner.

We mistakenly think of the KHL as a monolithic entity, it’s not. Yea it’s more one dimensional on the whole but that doesn’t mean teams and coaches don't emphasize two way play. At least from the games I’ve seen. Two new guys in the league this year are great defensively, Gavrikov and Mikeyev. Mikeyev is as well rounded as you can get is an awesome steal for the leafs. At the end of the day everything is situational.

Sure some of the best 2 way players ever in Federov and Datsyuk were Russian so everything is relative. I really think the switch at the end of the day is that Kravtsov is going to get more playing time in the KHL than Hartford. There's some AHL vets blocking him and it seems like they want to win, not play the kids there this year.

It's a lost year as far as learning Quinn's style of play but I don't see it as this nuclear bomb it's being made out to be. Again, I'd prefer him here but at the same time I don't think this is the last we've seen from him.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Enver Lisin FTW.

@offdacrossbar - Your boy!!!

 

[offdacrossbar]

@offdacrossbar - Your boy!!!

hes finally figuring things out !

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Actually, Zuccarello signed with the KHL before the lockout was announced

But wasnt it a known fact it was going down? Despite it not being “officially” announced? From what i remember dozens of players had signed well before it was announced.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

But wasnt it a known fact it was going down? Despite it not being “officially” announced? From what i remember dozens of players had signed well before it was announced.

Zuccarello signed as an NHL free agent, not as a lockout casualty though. He also didn't join the Rangers the moment the lockout was over. He signed at the end of March, when his KHL season concluded.

Different rules etc

 

[ElLeetch]

Per this post: Prospect Info: - 2014 NHL Draft / Pick #118 - Igor Shestyorkin (G) - Part III

"4. Interviewer noted that Kravtsov complained about what coaching staff demanded from him and ask if Shesterkin had similar issues. He answered that Kravtsov was playing in a different hockey than was asked of him while demands to him are simple - to stop a puck"

Does that worry anyone else?

 

[Inferno]

Per this post: Prospect Info: - 2014 NHL Draft / Pick #118 - Igor Shestyorkin (G) - Part III

"4. Interviewer noted that Kravtsov complained about what coaching staff demanded from him and ask if Shesterkin had similar issues. He answered that Kravtsov was playing in a different hockey than was asked of him while demands to him are simple - to stop a puck"

Does that worry anyone else?

Does it worry us that shesterkin is being asked to stop pucks? Or that kravtsov isnt being asked to stop pucks?

 

[romba]

Per this post: Prospect Info: - 2014 NHL Draft / Pick #118 - Igor Shestyorkin (G) - Part III

"4. Interviewer noted that Kravtsov complained about what coaching staff demanded from him and ask if Shesterkin had similar issues. He answered that Kravtsov was playing in a different hockey than was asked of him while demands to him are simple - to stop a puck"

Does that worry anyone else?

Is this different from what we thought?

Coaches wanted him to simplify his game- limit tunrovers at the offensive blue line due to dangling and poor decision making, get on his horse to get back defensively every shift, and let the offense come to him after all that is cleared up. He wasn't interested in 'reinventing' his game so he went back to the league where that shit somewhat still flies. Hopefully he can improve his pace and thinking speed this year and won't have to reinvent his game just to not turn the puck over twice a shift in NA.

 

[True Blue]

He and the coaches in Hartford didn't see eye to eye. Got benched in his second game. Then was given limited minutes on the 4th line. When the whole point of him going to Hardford was to get top minutes he wouldn't get at the big club. I think he was mishandled. If after a week, he was dogging it, then sure, take action. But after one game with a kid not familiar with western ways? It smells really bad.

If he deserved a benching, there is nothing wrong with that. Was he supposed to be immune from poor or lazy play?

The idea was that he was going to go to Hartford and play top minutes. The fact that he was not playing top minutes is entirely on him. He had no further to look than at Chytil.

 

[kovazub94]

Putting the situation in Hartford aside, in theory there's nothing wrong with Kravtsov continuing to hone his high-end hockey skills at this age in the KHL because learning to simplify his game is easier and could be done later in his professional development.