Canucks: Vitali Kravtsov returns for a second chance — and some sushi
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Indeed, when you look at the map of Russia, you realize how hard it would be to find a spot in the vast country that is further from the sea than this industrial city east of the Urals, a place that was vital to the construction of tanks during the Second World War and has long been a railway hub otherwise.
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At the time, Kravtsov fit what president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford had laid down as a player-acquisition focus — find formerly high-end prospects who might just need a fresh start. Kravtsov was a ninth-overall selection by the Rangers in 2018, but had struggled for ice time in New York and had bounced up and down between the NHL and the minors — and even back to the KHL.
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Yes, back to Chelyabinsk. He grew up in Vladivostok, on the Russian Pacific coast — Vancouver reminded him of his hometown, he told Postmedia in 2023 — but he had played all his hockey in the city that is just 100 or so kilometres from the Kazakhstan border. He played junior there. He turned pro there.
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And he signed back there in 2023 after a brief run with the Canucks, where he scored a single goal in 16 games. A goal that deflected in off Blackhawks defenceman Seth Jones, notably.
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But he has had two strong seasons back in the KHL, and the Canucks clearly see something that might be something back in the NHL.
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He had 27 goals in 66 games with Traktor, finally getting to play a front-line role for the first time in years. He hadn't been leaned on by any team like that since he was in junior. You know he's brimming with confidence.
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It's also hard to see how he would fit on the NHL roster at the moment. The team is brimming with wingers with actual NHL pedigree: Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Evander Kane, Conor Garland, Nils Hoglander and Kiefer Sherwood. Is Kravtsov going to supplant any of those six?
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Would it make sense to have him as a fourth-liner, because as it stands, he seems most likely set to battle for a role there. Even if Jonathan Lekkerimaki's playoffs were underwhelming in Abbotsford, the rookie's regular season was solid and he played a bunch of NHL games to boot.
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Lekkerimaki is the future of the team's offence and surely he will be given every opportunity to take a spot in the NHL. Kravtsov will also be behind Lekkerimaki when it comes to fighting for top-line minutes.
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