Back when Rangers winger Vitali Kravtsov refused his assignment to AHL Hartford and was given permission to seek a trade, it was reported that several teams had shown interest in the 21-year-old. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Senators and Canadiens were the two teams with the most interest in acquiring the 2018 first-rounder.
Kravtsov came to North America last season after a good showing with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL where he potted 16 goals in 49 games. However, that production didn’t carry over to New York as he had just two goals and two assists in 20 contests with the Rangers. He had a goal in three preseason contests this year, but it wasn’t enough to make the team as he was sent down. It was only last week that Kravtsov was officially loaned back to Chelyabinsk to get some playing time and he made an immediate impact, scoring twice while adding an assist in his first game back.
The Senators have been known to be seeking forward help going back to the start of the season, and as a team that’s only now just trying to start to emerge from their rebuild, Kravtsov is the type of player they would want to add to their existing young core. As for the Habs, their depth is limited when it comes to left-shot wingers, so there would be a spot in the bottom six for him to try to fill.
Of course, given his draft pedigree, New York placed a high price tag on Kravtsov’s services — one that clearly no one has met yet. The fact that he’s now playing again can only help his value over sitting at home, and a good showing back in the KHL could be enough for teams to up the ante on their offer. Based on Seravalli’s report, the Senators and Canadiens will be among the teams keeping a close eye on how Kravtsov does in the weeks to come.
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