Vitali Yuryevich Kravtsov ( rus, Виталий Юрьевич Кравцов, p=vʲɪˈtalʲɪj ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈkraftsəf; born 23 December 1999) is a Russian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

winger for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). He was drafted ninth overall by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

in the

2018 NHL Entry Draft The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the 56th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 22–23, 2018, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The 2018 NHL Entry Draft was the second of two professional sports drafts to be held in the Dalla ...

Playing career

Kravtsov made his KHL debut during the 2016–17 season. During the 2018 KHL playoffs, Kravtsov tied the KHL record for most points by an 18-year-old in the postseason, and later broke it on 21 March 2018. On 22 June 2018, Kravtsov was drafted ninth overall by the

in the

. He was signed by the Rangers to a three-year, entry-level contract on 3 May 2019. After attending the Rangers 2019 training camp, Kravtsov was assigned to make his North American debut with AHL affiliate, the

Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the XL Center. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. After a ...

, to start the 2019–20 season. Registering 1 assist in 5 games, Kravtsov opted to continue his development back in Russia, securing a loan for the remainder of the season with former club,

Traktor Chelyabinsk Traktor Chelyabinsk, also known as Traktor (russian: Трактор), is a professional ice hockey team based in Chelyabinsk, Russia. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Eastern Conference of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). F ...

of the KHL, on 28 October 2019. Kravtsov appeared in 11 games in his return to Chelyabinsk, recording 3 points, before his loan was ended prematurely by the Rangers and he was re-assigned to re-join the Wolf Pack on 13 December 2019. On 30 August 2020, Kravtsov signed a one-year extension with Traktor Chelyabinsk. Kravtsov made his NHL debut in the Rangers' 3–2 shootout loss to the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

on 3 April 2021. He scored his first NHL goal against the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

on 18 April 2021. On 12 October 2021, after not making the Rangers' 2021–22 opening night roster, and being sent down to the

, Kravtsov refused to report to Hartford and was given permission to contact other teams to facilitate a trade. On 3 November, Kravtsov was loaned to Traktor Chelyabinsk. On 13 June 2022, he signed a one-year contract extension with the Rangers. Having rejected a contract extension to remain with Traktor, Kravtsov opted to return to the Rangers and signed a one-year, $875,000 contract for the season on 12 June 2022. On 25 February 2023, Kravtsov was traded from the Rangers to the

in exchange for Will Lockwood and a seventh round draft pick in 2026.

International play

Kravtsov represented the Russian national junior team at the 2019 World Junior Championships in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada. He ended the tournament with 6 points in 7 games, helping Russia claim the bronze medal against Swiss national junior team on 6 January 2019.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kravtsov, Vitali 1999 births Living people Chelmet Chelyabinsk players Hartford Wolf Pack players National Hockey League first-round draft picks New York Rangers draft picks New York Rangers players Russian ice hockey right wingers Sportspeople from Vladivostok Traktor Chelyabinsk players Vancouver Canucks players