Prospect Info: With the 9th Overall Pick the New York Rangers Select Vitali Kravtsov

[Mikos87]

Not going to lie--I would have taken either Dobson or Wahlstrom at 9 and the fact that the Islanders grabbed both of those guys kind of cheeses me off a bit. That said Kravtsov played in the KHL last year and had a monster playoffs.

It's kind of like the year the year the Rangers took Kovalev though. He wasn't supposed to go as early as we took him either. I think Kravtsov will be a really good pick but IMO Dobson as a No. 1 potential D was who I would have gone for.

I understand why they took Kravstov, size, speed, skill, hunger. I don't have anything against the player, but the Rangers scouting staff does not take the scarcity into account, guys like Dobson and Wahlstrom are harder to come by.

Vitaly is a late birthday, and the skating ability and puck handling ability has his upside up there.

I hope they keep him in NY over the summer and he goes through an extensive training program. I don't think he's ready this fall, but if he's skating and pulling the moves he is at 205-210.... this is going to be a very difficult player to stop.

 

[RangerBoy]

Carp did write a few weeks ago about the Rangers pick not being the pick people expected. Kravstov was their guy.

McKenzie had Kravstov at #12 and one scout thought he was a top 5 pick

14. Philadelphia: Vitaly Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk-KHL
The Ron Hextall regime showed it’s willing to invest this high in Russians playing in Russia when they picked German Rubtsov. Kravtsov will play in the KHL next season and then likely come over. He had one of the best endings to a season I’ve ever seen from a prospect, and I’ve heard from several teams that consider him a top 10 talent.

Corey Pronman's 2018 NHL Mock Draft: Who's selected after...

 

[Ghost of jas]

Carp did write a few weeks ago about the Rangers pick not being the pick people expected. Kravstov was their guy.

McKenzie had Kravstov at #12 and one scout thought he was a top 5 pick



Corey Pronman's 2018 NHL Mock Draft: Who's selected after...

What a reach!

 

[YoSoyLalo]

f*** man I love this pick

Yuuuuuuuge upside here

Same with Miller and Lundqvist

 

[Trxjw]

People want elite upside? This kid has elite upside. I get the disappointment over Wahlstrom but there is a lot to be excited about here. He has wheels, skill, size, and is willing to use his body. If he can fill out and find consistency, he projects with as much offensive potential as anyone in the draft.

 

[Gardner McKay]

They ranked Kravstov over Zadina?

 

[mike14]

I'm sorry but I dont understand why they took him over Wahlstrom.

I know the Rangers like players who play against men and do well in their playoffs, so it doesn't shock me, but I don't see it, yet.

Maybe, and it's just a guees, but maybe they think he'll be a better player than Walhstrom....

 

[RangerBoy]

Finally, I don’t think the Rangers are going all out to move up in the draft. I think they believe that the player they will get at No. 9 is as good as a player they might get at 4 or 5, and that they’d be better off selecting three times in the first round than giving up one of those picks for a player who might (and might not) be dramatically better.

That said, it remains a possibility. And that said, I believe a lot of draftniks are going to be surprised with the Rangers’ pick(s).

Carp wrote this on May 9th. Someone told him early on about the Rangers thought process.

 

[Trxjw]

They ranked Kravstov over Zadina?

You gotta take the post-draft comments with a grain of salt, but it stands to reason that they thought all along they could get him at 9 and were comfortable there.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Congrats. Good pick.

 

[RalphyDanger]

Anyone have any highlight videos they like? Or should I just keep looking around on google and YouTube like a goober.

 

[3rd Guy High]

Those asking why they picked Kravstov over Wahlstrom - the answer is pretty simple in my eyes - speed.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Carp did write a few weeks ago about the Rangers pick not being the pick people expected. Kravstov was their guy.

McKenzie had Kravstov at #12 and one scout thought he was a top 5 pick



Corey Pronman's 2018 NHL Mock Draft: Who's selected after...

Im-f***ing-possible.

I was told that they didn't pick the guy who they thought was the best player available.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Kravstsov highlights reminded me of Grachev a bit...

 

[RalphyDanger]

This ones alright I guess. Looks like he has pretty quick hands, and a good release on his shot, judging from some of those five hole goals.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I don’t really like the Galchenyuk or Neal comparisons, the best comparison to me feels like Svechnikov, but like 80% Svechnikov

 

[Fvital92]

He reminds me of a poor Rick Nash to be truthful.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Carp did write a few weeks ago about the Rangers pick not being the pick people expected. Kravstov was their guy.

McKenzie had Kravstov at #12 and one scout thought he was a top 5 pick



Corey Pronman's 2018 NHL Mock Draft: Who's selected after...

that 1 scout who thought he was top 5 had to be a Rangers scout.

 

[Savant]

Well, maybe it has to do with the third component of what Gorton talked about yesterday: speed, skill and character.

THN mentioned something about Wahlstrom’s effort level. So if you have two players who are on close to equal footing and one has questions about his effort, you take the one you don’t. Who knows how the interview went with Wahlstrom too. So many things we just don’t know.

Also, I mentioned this earlier, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they also liked Kravtsov being 7 months older (again otherwise on equal footing), in addition to playing against men like you mentioned.

What GM says they want players that are slow, unskilled bad characters?

 

[Tawnos]

What GM says they want players that are slow, unskilled bad characters?

There are other positive things that could’ve been mentioned instead.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Interesting they had him as the second best forward. Not sure I agree about that.

Then again, this is the one pick that we made so far that I didn't have ranked considerably lower than where we picked him, so I shouldn't complain too much.

 

[Cassano]

What GM says they want players that are slow, unskilled bad characters?

Brandon Prust played 500 NHL games

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

 

[AKA Chief]

I'd heard someone of NHL Network (Sirius Radio) this wek say there were teams who had Kravtsov at #5 overall. He supposedly improved all year and was a beast in the KHL playoffs.

I personally love this pick.

 

[Savant]

I think Kravtsov is way more well rounded than Wahlstrom, he might not have as good of a shot, but his shot is still good and he can score in more ways than Wahlstrom, but then he’s a better stick handler, passer, and defensive player

I dont dislike Kravtsov. He checks off a lot of boxes. I still dont know that he is a better prospect than Wahlstrom. He certainly was not rated as such by many before the pick happened