Rangers Give Kravtsov Permission to Seek Trade; Loaned to KHL

[Capt]

47 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Seems like the kind of deal that would be realistic. 

Would seem like Barrett Hayton is a guy who's not gonna help you any time soon if he can't make the Yotes.  Correct? A work in progress, at 21 fair to say he's done less than expected for a 5OA?

I would think the Rangers would need to add a sweetener in any deal like that.  Hayton is at least playing within the organization and hasn't publicly stated he is done with the team.  Which is a whole other point in this.  Kravtsov is so immature he couldn't even quietly ask for a trade and play in Hartford while waiting to be moved.  

[Drew a Penalty]

51 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Seems like the kind of deal that would be realistic. 

Would seem like Barrett Hayton is a guy who's not gonna help you any time soon if he can't make the Yotes.  Correct? A work in progress, at 21 fair to say he's done less than expected for a 5OA?

Hayton was injured for most of preseason. He was sent down to give hime more of a runway to make the lineup. He's not going to be int he AHL for very long.

[The Dude]

9 hours ago, Phil said:

Seriously.

Even if they literally said some shit like "we see you as an NHL player, as a top-six player. We envision you filling the void left by Buchnevich," that's all contingent on performance.

They're supposed to just give him an NHL spot, in their top-six, despite not believing he's well-conditioned for the league, and needs to work on continuing to develop other skills?

Yes.  They did it for Lundkvist, with zero AHL time under his belt.  Is he looking polished or strong out there? Any chance he gets sent down? I doubt it.  

This seems more like a management flex. The kid obviously thinks very highly of himself. You'd think there's a reason for that. Draft position seems to only hold water for certain players. 

The organization wants swagger and attitude,  but for some reason this kid is singled out for it. He thinks he should walk onto the top 2 lines.  Maybe 3. Who would honestly debate that right now, or at the start of the season. You put your best players on the ice. Not Dryden fucking Hunt (STILL!!!). 

 

 

[Keirik]

Wrong thread

Edited October 18, 2021 by Keirik

[Pete]

10 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Yes.  They did it for Lundkvist, with zero AHL time under his belt.  Is he looking polished or strong out there? Any chance he gets sent down? I doubt it.  

This seems more like a management flex. The kid obviously thinks very highly of himself. You'd think there's a reason for that. Draft position seems to only hold water for certain players. 

The organization wants swagger and attitude,  but for some reason this kid is singled out for it. He thinks he should walk onto the top 2 lines.  Maybe 3. Who would honestly debate that right now, or at the start of the season. You put your best players on the ice. Not Dryden fucking Hunt (STILL!!!). 

 

 

So much hot take here. Let's unpack to the rest of the forum for discussion.

1. Lundqvist won a job in camp, whether you like it or not. Kravtsov didn't, whether anyone like it or not. Who cares if he looks "polished or strong'? It's been 3 games.

2. The whole swag thing...weak. Confidence is great. Real confidence goes to the A, rips it up, and shoves it up the org's hoop. VK doesn't have swag, he has vag.

3. He's not competing with Hunt for a roster spot. We can stop talking about it like he is.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Pete

[The Dude]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

Barrett Hayton.

Barret HEISTEN!

[Capt]

You seem to forget that the Rangers biggest gripe with VK is his conditioning, or better yet his work habits.  Those don't seem to be issues for Lundqvist.  The Rangers believe it or not are trying to develop the player for the betterment of the team, not only the player.  They need VK to work to become the best version of himself.  VK doesn't want to wait or learn how to condition himself, he wants it now.  End of story.

[The Dude]

4 hours ago, Capt said:

You seem to forget that the Rangers biggest gripe with VK is his conditioning, or better yet his work habits.  Those don't seem to be issues for Lundqvist.  The Rangers believe it or not are trying to develop the player for the betterment of the team, not only the player.  They need VK to work to become the best version of himself.  VK doesn't want to wait or learn how to condition himself, he wants it now.  End of story.

I don't think that's accurate at all. He missed pre season games due to injury and in doing that, they said he needed more conditioning. I don't recall them publicly stating his conditioning was an issue. Just that he needed more of it due to missing games..

Had his conditioning been a long standing issue, you'd think he would have been assigned to the rookie camp and had that issue solved.. 

[Pete]

Yea, nothing like rookie camp to get you in game shape for the NHL.

[Albatrosss]

Kravtsov said publicly when he went to play in Russia the first time that he doesnt want to be a call-up. He doesn’t want to take somebody else’s spot when that player gets injured and sent back down when the player gets healthy. He wants a permanent spot on the team.  He sees his assignment to AHL as not making the team and playing for the minor league. So he prefers to play in the KHL at home than playing in a minor league in a foreign country.  

[Pete]

1 minute ago, CCCP said:

So he prefers to play in the KHL at home than playing in a minor league in a foreign country.

Then why did his agent say he'd play in the AHL for another team, just not the Rangers?

[jsm7302]

There is so much we don't know or hear about. My assumption is that he would rather play in the KHL than the AHL and I get that. We should be okay with that as development also. Open mindedness does wonders and standing on principle generally sours relationships.

[Albatrosss]

8 minutes ago, Pete said:

Then why did his agent say he'd play in the AHL for another team, just not the Rangers?

If that’s the path he has to take. He obviously doesnt see any future with the Rangers, which is a shame. 

[Albatrosss]

3 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

There is so much we don't know or hear about. My assumption is that he would rather play in the KHL than the AHL and I get that. We should be okay with that as development also. Open mindedness does wonders and standing on principle generally sours relationships.

You’re right. It is probably wiser for him to take the AHL route but he’s a 21 year old hockey player who probably wasnt very good at school. 

[Ozzy]

The more I read, and hear about this situation, the more I'm thinking this is all about HIM.  I'm sure there's a shit load we don't know about, or even what was said.  It will come out eventually one day, and I have a feeling even though there's fault on both sides, that most of this is falling in the lap of Kravvy.

I really hope the kid wises up after his "timeout" in his room, and gets back on the ice.  It's probably the best thing for both him and the Rangers.

[Phil]

Quote

According to multiple league sources, the friction between Kravtsov and Chris Drury dates back to October 2019. Kravtsov didn’t make the Rangers out of camp as a 19-year-old and didn’t enjoy his first stay in AHL Hartford. He exercised the out clause in his contract to return to the KHL, where he’d played the prior two seasons.

Sources say that when Kravtsov went to retrieve his gear and say his goodbyes to Wolfpack teammates and staff, Drury told Kravtsov that he’d “quit” on the team.

Kravtsov would ultimately return to the organization and to Hartford less than two months later after a mediocre KHL stint. He joined the Rangers in the Toronto bubble for the team’s brief 2020 playoff appearance and there was, again according to multiple sources, an incident between Kravtsov and Drury in which the young forward was dressed down by the then-assistant GM for not working hard enough. That happened on the ice in full view of teammates.

Kravtsov also missed the bus from the team hotel to the rink one day in the Toronto bubble, which led to further frustration in the organization, according to two people who were there.

Quote

There was a contentious exit meeting last spring between Drury and Kravtsov, with sources indicating that Drury and the Rangers were concerned about Kravtsov’s conditioning. The player was ready to head back to Russia and wasn’t willing to listen.

In the offseason, the Rangers dealt Pavel Buchnevich, a popular player not only on the team at large but with the smaller group of Russian players. Buchnevich took the most interest in trying to help Kravtsov get acclimated to life as a Ranger, according to sources, so Kravtsov took the Buchnevich trade hard.

“All of those things probably put in the kid’s head that they wanted him out,” a source said.

Quote

Sources indicated that a few NHL teams have inquired about Kravtsov — more so to get an understanding of the situation than to see what the Rangers’ price in a trade might be — and a move does not appear imminent at this point. It would be farfetched to think that all that’s gone on between player and organization would make one of the 31 other GMs leap at the chance to acquire Kravtsov and want to surrender any asset worth having to get him. Not now, anyway. And certainly the longer this stalemate goes, the more teams will forget that Kravtsov might have something to offer them.

Kravtsov has returned to the Rangers fold before, so perhaps he will reconsider his position. That doesn’t appear likely at the moment.

https://theathletic.com/2897437/2021/10/19/inside-the-rangers-vitali-kravtsov-divorce-why-they-cant-make-it-work-and-what-comes-next/?source=emp_shared_article

[siddious]

I mean the article kind of makes Drury sound like an asshole in my opinion. 

At the end of the day there is blame to be had on both sides. The organization is in a bad spot here. I look forward to the underwhelming return Drury gets. 

[Morphinity 2.0]

Drury sounds like a bit of an idiot. Glad the Rangers are in good hands after the coup last season.

[Phil]

28 minutes ago, Morphinity said:

Drury sounds like a bit of an idiot. Glad the Rangers are in good hands after the coup last season.

Sounds like he still thinks he's team captain, not GM.

[Long live the King]

1 hour ago, CCCP said:

Kravtsov said publicly when he went to play in Russia the first time that he doesnt want to be a call-up. He doesn’t want to take somebody else’s spot when that player gets injured and sent back down when the player gets healthy. He wants a permanent spot on the team.  He sees his assignment to AHL as not making the team and playing for the minor league. So he prefers to play in the KHL at home than playing in a minor league in a foreign country.  

Was this before or after Traktor sent him to the VHL for his shitty, lazy attitude?

[RJWantsTheCup]

Have a feeling Kravtsov never plays in the NHL.

[MuddyInTheMiddle]

7 minutes ago, Phil said:

Sounds like he still thinks he's team captain, not GM.

It certainly doesn't reflect well on Drury.

A General Manager's job is to "manage" situations, not to exacerbate them. If that part about dressing him down in front of teammates is true then he is not a good manager as that is the coaching staff's responsibility. It certainly puts the coaching staff in an odd position as well.

Going a step forward and giving Drury the complete benefit of the doubt of Kravstov just being totally entitled and unmanageable, he should have been traded during the off season when this was not public knowledge.

[Pete]

27 minutes ago, Phil said:

Sounds like he still thinks he's team captain, not GM.

Do you seriously think this is the first time a GM undressed players who were underperforming, had bad attitude, and are selfish?

Please tell me the appropriate response, given that 1:1 conversations were already had, numerous times? And this was after he quit for Russia and came back?

This sounds like frustration on both sides but ultimately it's on the player to do what management asks or find a new job. But you don't just stop showing up to work while you look for your new job.

[LindG1000]

Kravtsov dug this hole himself - regardless of Drury - though Drury comes off like an inept douche here. 

Which, of course, is the more worrisome thing seeing as he's now in charge. 

[MuddyInTheMiddle]

Just now, Pete said:

Do you seriously think this is the first time a GM undressed players who were underperforming, had bad attitude, and are selfish?

Please tell me the appropriate response, given that 1:1 conversations were already had, numerous times? And this was after he quit for Russia and came back?

This sounds like frustration on both sides but ultimately it's on the player to do what management asks or find a new job. But you don't just stop showing up to work while you look for your new job.

I don't think there is anyone here doesn't believe that Kravtsov is thin skinned and entitled, and bares a portion of the responsibility on how we got here.

Just think that the seasoned former captian and All Star turned GM should be counted on to control the situation better, than the 21 year old player from another culture who barely speaks English. Drury's job is to put these guys in positions to succeed( and I am not saying not gift top NHL minutes); what Staple laid out does not seem like there is a track record of that with this player(or Andersson as the article implies).