Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft / Pick #9 - Vitali Kravtsov (RW) - Part VII

[Tawnos]

He definitely needs to repair his relationship with the Hartford coaching staff. Get him to understand that they have his best interests in mind while also giving him more of an opportunity to play through mistakes and stuff

Essentially, if he comes back over what the situation would call for is a total reset across the board.

 

[Anzi]

There were quite a few people taking a "Kravtsov is blameless/mostly blameless" position in the beginning. That opinion has kind of disappeared, though, as more details emerged and as he crumbled over in Chelyabinsk.

My position has been that he is not blameless but what actually matters in the end is what steps the organization is taking to avoid or resolve these kinds of problems. If Kravtsov doesn't work out, we can't exactly hold him accountable because he'd presumably not be a part of the organization anymore. The only people we can actually try to hold accountable are the ones who drafted him and handled him throughout the process.

 

[nyr2k2]

My position has been that he is not blameless but what actually matters in the end is what steps the organization is taking to avoid or resolve these kinds of problems. If Kravtsov doesn't work out, we can't exactly hold him accountable because he'd presumably not be a part of the organization anymore. The only people we can actually try to hold accountable are the ones who drafted him and handled him throughout the process.

Well sure but if you're going to be holding people accountable, you have to first establish that they did something wrong. I'm not sure I see the wrongdoing here from the Rangers. At first I wasn't super thrilled, but as this has dragged on it looks more and more like a Kravtsov issue to me. Sometimes you can do everything right and the situation still doesn't work out in your favor.

Well I mean, maybe they should have drafted Farabee. Maybe that's the wrong.

 

[Anzi]

Well sure but if you're going to be holding people accountable, you have to first establish that they did something wrong. I'm not sure I see the wrongdoing here from the Rangers. At first I wasn't super thrilled, but as this has dragged on it looks more and more like a Kravtsov issue to me. Sometimes you can do everything right and the situation still doesn't work out in your favor.

Well I mean, maybe they should have drafted Farabee. Maybe that's the wrong.

Well yeah, scouting their character is a part of draft evaluation. There's also knowing how to handle different prospects. There's not an one size fits all process for handling these kids. Some need the tough love, others may need to be coddled a bit more. At the end of the day, its about getting the best players for the job. It's up to the organization to figure out all that.

 

[Zine]

There were quite a few people taking a "Kravtsov is blameless/mostly blameless" position in the beginning. That opinion has kind of disappeared, though, as more details emerged and as he crumbled over in Chelyabinsk.

Blameless only insofar that he’s a, presumably, unworldly and moody 19 year old.

It’s telling that the Rangers are only now realizing (now they want him back in AHL) they probably should've treated him with kid gloves initially.

Anyhow, at the end of the day, the Rangers are 100% responsible because they drafted him. If you draft a complete feeble head-case, it’s your fault for, A) not doing due diligence on the player in the lead up to the draft; or B) being totally conned by an 18 year old.

 

[kovazub94]

Find out what he needs. Does he need Rykov to hold his balls through practice? Does he need a personal barber? Do we hire his mom to bring signs and yell his name at practice and games? Obviously I'm being facetious (right?), but see what the kid needs and bring him back here where he should have been all along.

Rykov.... might go back to Russia

 

[nyr2k2]

Well yeah, scouting their character is a part of draft evaluation. There's also knowing how to handle different prospects. There's not an one size fits all process for handling these kids. Some need the tough love, others may need to be coddled a bit more. At the end of the day, its about getting the best players for the job. It's up to the organization to figure out all that.

I agree, it's just, when have we ever had a situation like this? I agree that you need to be flexible and account for the needs of different guys. But this? I mean you can only prepare for so much, at the end of the day you need to be able to assume that prospects will arrive with some basic level of maturity and desire to improve (particularly for a guy who has been playing professionally in the KHL to this point). It's like if you draft a guy and he has a secret drug addiction that only his best friend knows about; when it inevitably derails his career, can you really blame yourself?

 

[JMan74]

Dude at BSB....if hes right...he probably needs to get away from the bad influences in Russia.

His whole hockey-playing life, all he’s heard is how great he is and how he’s destined for greatness. Not making the NHL club out of camp was the first adversity the kid ever had to deal with. He was not able to handle this due to being extremely immature. Now couple that with parents that were barking that he should come back b/c he’s better than the AHL, this was recipe for disaster. His coming over was mutual. The Rangers FO wanted him to come over and Krav had been saying since he was drafted he wanted to come over. I know many here felt he should have made the team out of camp, myself being one of them, but from a VERY close source to Krav, he wasn’t physically ready for North American game. Panarin himself told him that he needs to have some "push-back" in his game in order to be successful in the NHL. Sending him to the AHL for a period of time to get better acclimated to this style was not viewed as setback or demotion but more as a short step in his development. The only one who viewed this negatively was Krav himself and he sulked in Hartford and mentally checked out. This VERY close source has said the kid has simply been getting horrible advice. The FO and his agent tried to convince him to stay and did for a very short period of time but eventually, Krav listened to said "bad advice" and went back which was his right. I’m not sure what has happened over in mother Russia and I’m trying to find out more but if I had to guess, this could be a result of this kid being extremely immature and having smoke blown up his ass his whole hockey-playing life and is just not equipped to handle any adversity.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

This guy said at the time of his return to Russia that his parents are his biggest problem - his agent tried to convince him that it was just a minor, temporary development stop in Hartford but his parents kept telling him he was too good to play in the minor leagues and he should return to the KHL. Well, if that's the case, then getting demoted back home might finally get him to listen to better advice.

 

[Mr Clutch]

Rykov.... might go back to Russia

What do u mean?

 

[kovazub94]

Yea, OK Gorton. You want Kravtsov to play? You friggin’ benched him in Hartford for presumably the same reason he’s been benched in the KHL.
At this point it doesn’t matter where Kravtsov plays. If he doesn't get his head out of his ass the end result will be the same.

Fist from Kravtsov's perspective the situation two months ago is NOT the same as what he's going through now. In Hartford Kravtsov was benched for one game and was promptly given ice time in the next for learning understanding what is being asked of him, while currently there's no end in sight for his demotion (which is more akin to first being benched for two games and then sent to ECHL if we were to build analogies). I'm sure he had time to revisit and reanalysis the situation and the decision-making in his mind.

Second, your statement that it doesn't matter where Kravtsov plays is utterly ridiculous. A) The Rangers would want to control the decision where, what role and how much Kravtsov plays and what he learns and B) Once again he needs to be as far away from the shit show that Traktor Chelyabinsk has become.

 

[kovazub94]

What do u mean?

Look at bolded in @nyr2k2 post I was responding.

 

[n8]

Is Krav allowed to come back to the AHL this season? Can someone summarize all the sh** that's going down? Please, just do what's best for his development!

 

[NYRFAN218]

Is Krav allowed to come back to the AHL this season? Can someone summarize all the sh** that's going down? Please, just do what's best for his development!

Yes. He's signed to an NHL contract and was only loaned to the KHL. So the Rangers could recall him at any time and assign him to the big club or Hartford.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Yea, OK Gorton. You want Kravtsov to play? You friggin’ benched him in Hartford for presumably the same reason he’s been benched in the KHL.
At this point it doesn’t matter where Kravtsov plays. If he doesn't get his head out of his ass the end result will be the same.

To be fair, he was benched the one game in HFD and then his ice time was trending up when he decided to go back.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I'd be on board to never draft another Russian in the first round again. Total headcases, the reward is not worth the risk.

Oh, FFS, really? This generalizing xenophobic BS again? You wouldn't draft Ovechkin? Or Kuznetzov? Or Tarasenko? Or...

This one situation has hit a bump in the road, that's it. And it's been all of two months, for crying out loud. I'm not saying all is well, but there's every possibility 1-2 years from now everyone will forget it happened, just like Buch's need to take time off to work on his core conditioning.

 

[n8]

oh, here is an article
https://nypost.com/2019/12/09/vitali-kravtsov-could-return-to-rangers-after-russian-demotion/

 

[SouthernRanger]

Blameless only insofar that he’s a, presumably, unworldly and moody 19 year old.

It’s telling that the Rangers are only now realizing (now they want him back in AHL) they probably should've treated him with kid gloves initially.

Anyhow, at the end of the day, the Rangers are 100% responsible because they drafted him. If you draft a complete feeble head-case, it’s your fault for, A) not doing due diligence on the player in the lead up to the draft; or B) being totally conned by an 18 year old.

Drafting and developing a player is a relational process. Both the player and the organization are responsible. Rangers need to make the right calls with the player they have drafted and Kravstov needs to get his A into G and put in the work. The same is true for all relationship based agreements like hiring a new employee. People are unpredictable, fickle and often create difficult scenarios. I think the Rangers need to bring this guy back and tinker with his headspace. Get him pumped again to be a Ranger.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Prior to this season the word was his dad was a pro (not in hockey... just as a man) who instilled maturity and hard work in the kid. Now we hear the literal opposite.

It's a fascinating turn of events objectively if you are interested in the crazy world of prospects and disasters

Hopefully his parents recognize the damage being done to his career in every league (if it really is them) and help him get right

 

[Anzi]

To be fair, he was benched the one game in HFD and then his ice time was trending up when he decided to go back.

It was trending up but then trending down again after he turned over the puck in front of the net and led to a goal. I remember people gushing about his zone entries prior to the turnover but afterwards he was pretty much done for the game.

 

[Edge]

The article hits on a key point that can be easy to overlook right now:

Ten weeks ago the kid nearly made the Rangers.

That’s the starting point we need to get back to.

Now.

 

[JohnC]

Blaming the Rangers on this situation for drafting Kravstov to begin with is a new, fun spin from the HF Ruskies.

 

[UnSandvich]

Blaming the Rangers on this situation for drafting Kravstov to begin with is a new, fun spin from the HF Ruskies.

I think the only people blaming the Rangers for drafting Kravtsov are idiots like wenevergetagoodpost. What people are saying, which is actually reasonable, is that if the Rangers want to maximize the value of Kravtsov as a player, the organization should be doing more to help him

 

[aufheben]

Drafting and developing a player is a relational process. Both the player and the organization are responsible. Rangers need to make the right calls with the player they have drafted and Kravstov needs to get his A into G and put in the work. The same is true for all relationship based agreements like hiring a new employee. People are unpredictable, fickle and often create difficult scenarios. I think the Rangers need to bring this guy back and tinker with his headspace. Get him pumped again to be a Ranger.

I don't think it's just the player, I think it's the player + whatever adults he already has in his ear/corner/etc. This makes me feel bad but it's possible he was the least involved of anyone. Either way there's probably a goofy amount of miscommunications involved in this situation.

 

[nyr2k2]

The article hits on a key point that can be way to overlook right now:

Ten weeks ago the kid nearly made the Rangers.

That’s the starting point we need to get back to.

Now.

I know Brooks says he did, and maybe he is correct, but I don't know why he would/should have "almost" made the team. His play in the exhibition slate wasn't very good. If he didn't come with a lot of fanfare, and maybe the expectation that he would make the team, I don't know if anyone would have been making a case for him to be on the final roster. He clearly wasn't ready. IMO, anyway.

 

[bl02]

I know Brooks says he did, and maybe he is correct, but I don't know why he would/should have "almost" made the team. His play in the exhibition slate wasn't very good. If he didn't come with a lot of fanfare, and maybe the expectation that he would make the team, I don't know if anyone would have been making a case for him to be on the final roster. He clearly wasn't ready. IMO, anyway.

You're right he definitely wasn't ready.
I would love to see him back in Hartford this season and doing well/contributing to a decent team but I think the Rangers need to tread lightly here. What if he comes back to NA sooner rather than later and the same crap happens again?