Former first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov expected to sign with Russian club

Reports out of Russia indicate Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov is expected sign a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL this offseason.

If the report comes to fruition, it’s very likely the end of the road in the NHL for the 6-foot-3 winger. Selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers, a tumultuous tenure there ended when the Rangers dealt him to Vancouver for William Lockwood and a seventh-round pick on February 25.

Things didn’t go well in a brief stint with Vancouver either, with Kravtsov recording just a goal and an assist in 16 games. Consequently, he wasn’t able to earn an uptick in ice time. 

Now 23, Kravtsov has managed to get into just 64 NHL games in parts of three seasons, notching six goals and 12 points almost exclusively in a bottom-six role.

It would be a return to a familiar place for Kravtsov, as Chelyabinsk has been his home for his entire development track in Russia. Prior to 2022-23, he’d spent at least a portion of every season in the organization dating back to 2014-15, either pre-draft or on loan after signing his entry-level contract with New York.

Chelyabinsk hopes they’re getting the version of Kravtsov that posted 13 points in 19 KHL games on loan in 2021-22 and that he’s able to at least pan out as a top-six fixture in the KHL.