February 25th, 2023
Ryan Gurevitz
The Canucks added another young player to their squad today, acquiring Vitaly Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in a minor deal.
Kravtsov has registered three goals and three assists in 28 games played this year for the Rangers, the 23-year-old from Vladivostok, Russia has not earned much ice time in the show since being drafted two picks after Quinn Hughes in the 2018 draft. Kravtsov has been linked with a move out of NYC several times in the past, and Vancouver had repeatedly shown interest in picking him up. Kravtsov was part of several mock trades involving JT Miller at the height of his trade speculation last offseason and continued to appear in rumours for some time as an appealing young player needing a change of scenery.Â
With the Rangers' reported interest in Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, the Rangers finally opted to deal Kravtsov with just under a week remaining until the trade deadline. Moving Kravtsov frees up a roster spot and $925k of valuable cap space for the Rangers to squeeze in a deadline move to solidify their cup chase.
In addition to cap space, the Rangers also receive forward Will Lockwood, the 24-year-old has struggled to crack the Canucks roster and has spent most of his pro career in AHL Abbotsford since being selected out of the University of Michigan. Despite his growth potential as a young player, Lockwood realistically caps out as a bottom-six guy in a perfect world. The Rangers will also receive the Canucks 2026 seventh-round pick as part of the deal.
Ultimately, this trade benefits both teams. The Canucks add another young player for a low price as they look to rebuild their roster, and the Rangers free up a spot to bring in a potentially massive piece in the middle of their cup window.