Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
New York Rangers 1st Round Pick #9 OA - Vitali Kravtsov (RW)
Pronman's 2018 NHL draft rankings: Top 74 prospects
15. Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk-KHL
Dec. 23, 1999 | 6-foot-2 | 170 pounds
GP: 35 | Goals: 4 | Points: 7 | Shoots: Left
Skating: 55
Puck Skills: 60
Physical Game: 50
Hockey sense: 55
Kravtsov improved as the season went along. After being cut from Russia’s World Junior Championship team, he finished with one of the best postseasons I’ve ever seen from a teenager in a pro league, becoming a go-to player for his KHL team, a member of the second power play and a top nine regular on a team that went to the KHL’s final four. He’s got an interesting toolkit. He’s 6-foot-2, skates rather well, shows flashes of dynamic hands and is pretty coordinated for his size. He can push defenders back with speed and gain the offensive zone with control. His edge work/elusiveness is decent, too. While he can make some nice plays and shows good creativity, I think he’s more of a finisher than a playmaker; someone who could drive his offense in the NHL through leading on zone entries and finishing chances from a distance. His vision looked better to me this season than last, but he’s not going to be a guy who hovers around looking for options. He’ll need work off the puck, too, as he can get pushed off pucks a little too easily for a big man; but when he uses his body, his frame protects the puck well. I’ve seen him be used at center, but he projects most likely as a winger. I watched him a lot this season and truthfully did not think what I saw matched his incredible KHL production, but it’s hard to ignore his progress and he does still have a very good skillset.
Pronman's 2018 NHL draft rankings: Top 74 prospects
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