Thoughts on the Vitali Kravtsov trade request

Earlier this morning, news broke about the Vitali Kravtsov trade request. The news isn’t overly shocking when you consider the history between Kravtsov and Chris Drury. The pair have buried the hatched, or so we have been told, and Kravtsov has been on the NHL roster all season. However he has been used sparingly by Gerard Gallant. The Kravtsov trade request seems to stem from struggling to balance competing with development.

1. The Rangers, specifically Drury and Gallant, are in a bit of a tough spot. They are clearly in win-now mode, and the Vlad Tarasenko trade cements them as a true contender. If the Rangers were in the Western Conference, they’d be the best in the conference. But they are in the East, which is a dogfight, and despite their 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games, they’ve lost ground to the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes in the Metro Division.

2. There is a need to win, hence the Tarasenko trade and a reformed top-nine. There is also a need to develop, but the NHL is not a development league. Even the AHL, where Kravtsov will not play since he will not go unclaimed on waivers (yet), is barely a developmental league. So the Rangers have to keep him in the NHL. But his biggest issue (strength on and off the puck) is something that seeps into all aspects of his game. Thus, he doesn’t play.

3. The Kravtsov trade request isn’t a surprise given the bad situation he’s in. However, this may be a short term issue. It’s clear this season isn’t the right one for Kravtsov to be a regular with the Rangers. He has fine defensive impacts, but he does get bodied a lot. This prevents him from being effective consistently in all three zones. It’s not to say he won’t get there, since strength is an easy fix. It’s to say he’s not there yet.

4. Without all the prior issues between Kravtsov and the Rangers, him being a spare forward wouldn’t be analyzed too much. That is on both him and Drury, with both making mistakes. If it’s true that they have mended the relationship, then in theory it shouldn’t have a bearing on this year’s usage. Naturally, that’s not how things work, so it’s easy to understand both Kravtsov’s frustration and the Rangers unwillingness to give him minutes to work on pieces of his game.

5. However, again, this may be a short term thing if both sides are able to review what’s coming. This year is a playoff run. But next year is a bit different. Not in terms of team expectations, but in terms of the cap situation and team need. The potential need to move a contract to keep Filip Chytil, K’Andre Miller, and Alexis Lafreniere is becoming clearer, thus cheap production elsewhere in the lineup is a must have. Kravtsov would provide that next season.

6. In fact, the best path forward is likely for 23 year old to set an offseason plan with the Rangers, come into camp stronger, and force himself into a middle six role. Gerard Gallant seems a little more willing to let some players work on things earlier in the season, as opposed to February and beyond. That may be conjecture, but logically it makes sense. Think of how much time Gallant has spent tinkering with lines the last two years before the trade deadlines.

7. If the Rangers act on the Kravtsov trade request, then it will most likely be at the draft. Kravtsov won’t get moved for a rental, and Drury is loathe to give up on pieces that he believes have value. Nils Lundkvist, a year younger than Kravtsov, requested a trade at a similar time last season. He wasn’t moved until September this year. There’s no rush to trade him, especially if the Rangers find themselves down a top-nine forward in the playoffs.

8. Big picture, the Kravtsov trade request is another understandably bad look for the Rangers. It’s tough to argue with two top-ten picks requesting trades, and a third high ceiling first rounder also wanting out. Each player had their own unique situation, so while they will be lumped together for the sake of the story, they are different too. Regardless, it’s still a bad look, even if they can be explained away.

9. The Kravtsov trade request also shouldn’t move the needle too much in terms of where this team is heading this year. If he is moved at the deadline, which I do not expect, then the Rangers technically aren’t subtracting from the main roster. It will most certainly make the injury depth weaker, especially with offensive talent. Maybe this works out in the end. But I do think we all expected a Kravtsov trade request (or trade) to happen at some point, as this is his second trade request in two seasons.