Larry Brooks: Vitaly Kravtsov headed back to the KHL

Levitate

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Jul 29, 2004
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I'm not a huge fan of this move but it's ultimatel yprobably not a big deal either. I feel like he needed to adjust to NA style hockey and this will not do him any favors in that regard. But he can still work on his game and his skills, it's not like it's a wasted year either
 

AntNYR

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Apr 30, 2019
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If being a top prospect doesn't guarantee some trust and icetime on the AHL level then it would be better to encourage him to re-sign in the KHL right after the end of last season and just re-evaluate after that, at least there you could expect him not to be benched after every mistake.
I don't think either of us knows exactly what happened in Hartford, and as such I find it difficult to say whether Kravtsov was treated unfairly or not. There are some things that could justify this treatment, even for a prospect of Kravtsov's caliber. To me your assumption of "benching after every mistake" is pretty big and maybe not completely justified. Not unless you know something that I don't.
 
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Kupo

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Oct 31, 2017
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The coaching staff in HFD should all be fired.

Excellent job they did with our #2 prospect. Bravo boys.

I was furious at how Quinn was handling ADA last season. In and out of the line-up. Being benched after decent games. In my head I thought as a kid, he just needs playing time.

ADA had some bad habits and it took a coach like Quinn to break him down and try and rebuild him. Maybe the Hartford Staff saw some of that with Vitaly's game. During the pre-season, I noticed some bad habits too. Trying to stick-handle through everyone. Looking lost without the puck. A lack of emphasis back checking.

Part of me feels like Vitaly should have done anything and everything our coaching staff asked of him. If your coach is telling you to focus on something and you refuse to do so, what are you supposed to do as a coach? Let a player do whatever he wants?

We don't know the details of what really happened so it's hard to fully blame anyone at this point.
 

ColonialsHockey10

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Jul 22, 2007
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It’s not a big deal, both parties jumped the gun here.

But one party is a 19 year old kid, the other is a professional organization that allegedly has its shit together, and has scouts that are supposed to be keeping track of these kids.

Still haven’t seen anything from Gorton or Gordie Clark to prove they are the right people to be steering this ship. The latter has done an especially crap job.
 
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TheGoldenJet

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Apr 2, 2008
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One could think that your AHL affiliate team is for getting top playing roles and icetime for your top prospects, but that is just a somehow popular myth.

One would think that a prospect signed to an ELC would be willing to learn accountability, systems, and defence, but sometimes that is a myth too.
 

Pawnee Rangers

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Jan 10, 2019
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If he can’t hang in the AHL at 19, a year earlier than most players, they made the wrong pick?

If he can't be in the lineup on a consistent basis because his attitude stinks, I think at the very lease it's cause for concern. He played in a pro league in Russia for two seasons, I don't think expecting him to be able to take a regular shift in the AHL is too much to ask
 

Levitate

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Jul 29, 2004
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It’s not a big deal, both parties jumped the gun here.

But one party is a 19 year old kid, the other is a professional organization that allegedly has its **** together, and has scouts that are supposed to be keeping track of these kids.

Still haven’t seen anything from Gorton or Gordie Clark to prove they are the right people to be steering this ship. The latter has done an especially crap job.

How did the Rangers jump the gun? By signing him? I think when you have a KHL draftee coming up as a UFA it's good to sign him...if not he could have signed a 3 year deal to stay in the KHL for who knows how long. it "burns" a year but ultimately it's no different than if he was in the AHL for a year. It's fine.
 

Edge

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If he can't be in the lineup on a consistent basis because his attitude stinks, I think at the very lease it's cause for concern. He played in a pro league in Russia for two seasons, I don't think expecting him to be able to take a regular shift in the AHL is too much to ask

who said his attitude stinks?

That’s the problem with all of this, we’re making an awful lot of assumptions about Kravtsov.
 

Pawnee Rangers

Registered User
Jan 10, 2019
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who said his attitude stinks?

That’s the problem with all of this, we’re making an awful lot of assumptions about Kravtsov.

Do you really think he was scratched the second game of the season down there because of on ice stuff? Or that's why he got limited minutes the rest of the games he played in?
 

Hunter Gathers

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Feb 27, 2002
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Who possibly thinks this is a good thing? What I see, first and foremost, is a guy who became frustrated with North American hockey and parachuted out. Not good. And if he never comes back, Gordie Clark should be fired on the spot.

The fact he did it so quickly just makes me think so much less of him. Not even an attempt to stick it out. Yeesh.
 

Gardner McKay

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Jun 27, 2007
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Not a fan of this personally, but that's alright. Particularly if the central issue with him is personal. As in he was having a problem handling the AHL life on a personal level. Not all 19-year olds are ready to do something like ride the bus while maintaining solid personal and professional habits. Please let me be clear, if that's the issue... it's not a knock against him.

It's interesting that the Rangers could recall him. What happens if they do and want to reassign him again? He goes back to Russia?

When the rumors about this first started swirling, I was really concerned. But after reading your post I wholeheartedly agree.

I think back to the time I spent in China on a study abroad back in 08. After 4 weeks, I was ready to be home and I was simply doing nothing but studying, traveling to experience China’s deep and rich history, and having fun. Not knowing the language, being thousands of miles away from home, it became really tough. I do have a lot of sympathy for VK. I would obviously prefer him be in the AHL but I can’t blame him.
 
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CasusBelli

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I don’t like this as a fan. He could end up being a KHL lifer at this rate. As a person, I get it: you left your family and friends at home, to a country whose language you don’t speak, just to be relegated to a secondary league — and not even play there? Yeah ... I’ll pass.
 

NikC

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Oct 7, 2008
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Who possibly thinks this is a good thing? What I see, first and foremost, is a guy who became frustrated with North American hockey and parachuted out. Not good. And if he never comes back, Gordie Clark should be fired on the spot.

Yup let's keep burning away our first round picks...

Maybe you should draft players that fit your org? You have to know going into this, how to handle young players coming from Russia.

Gordie is a disaster.
 

ColonialsHockey10

Registered User
Jul 22, 2007
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Who possibly thinks this is a good thing? What I see, first and foremost, is a guy who became frustrated with North American hockey and parachuted out. Not good. And if he never comes back, Gordie Clark should be fired on the spot.

He should have been fired years ago.

The highest scoring player we have drafted in 15 years is JT Miller. The team has been built through free agents and college kids that want to sign with their hometown team.
 

Levitate

Registered User
Jul 29, 2004
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Who possibly thinks this is a good thing? What I see, first and foremost, is a guy who became frustrated with North American hockey and parachuted out. Not good. And if he never comes back, Gordie Clark should be fired on the spot.

He has to come back, he has a contract with the NHL and the NHL and KHL have an agreement to honor each others contracts. He and the Rangers agreed to have him go back to the KHL for this year but he can't sign a contract and stay over there
 

Chaels Arms

Formerly Lias Andersson
Aug 26, 2010
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It's funny that when rumors of this happening began floating around everybody dismissed them because our "beat writers" didn't have the story.
 
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