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Will a New York Rangers rookie break a 31-year Calder Trophy drought?

By Andrew Chodes

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, poses for a portrait during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 29: New York Rangers Right Wing Vitali Kravtsov (74) skates during New York Rangers Prospect Development Camp on June 29, 2018 at the MSG Training Center in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 29: New York Rangers Right Wing Vitali Kravtsov (74) skates during New York Rangers Prospect Development Camp on June 29, 2018 at the MSG Training Center in New York, NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Vitali Kravtsov, the dark horse

Kravtsov’s selection in the 2018 Draft puzzled many Rangers fans, but the ninth overall selection has managed to turn that confusion into excitement. The 19 year old  is a powerful, yet graceful winger with sky-high potential. Similarly to Kakko, Kravtsov has NHL-ready size, strength, and a clear confidence.

“I feel like I’m a smart player and was able to overcome the fear of making mistakes playing a full season in the KHL. I think that will translate well over to any league in the future. I got the experience against big, strong men,” said Kravtsov in an interview with NHL.com.

He put up decent numbers in his pre-draft season, but really made his mark in the playoffs, registering 11 points in 16 games.  It’s one reason why Kravtsov was ranked the top prospect in the world by Craig Button of TSN in January.

Kravtsov got off to a hot start this past season, registering 17 points in 32 games, establishing himself as a dynamic playmaker as a teenager.

His eye-catching statistics as a teenager were comparable to those of current NHL stars Vladimir Tarasenko, Evgeny Kuznetzov, and current Ranger Artemi Panarin.

Even with all these great stats, it was mind-blowing to many when Kravtsov stepped onto the ice at this year’s developmental camp. Not only did the young Russian shine on the ice, making great play after great play, but his off the ice skills were massively impressive.

As Jeff Gorton stated it, ” “He’s an impressive young man, on and off the ice, and I think today you could see that,” Gorton said. “He obviously came here to show you guys he could speak English and he wanted to speak to you all in English – I think that says a lot about who he is, and where he’s going.”

Can Vitali Kravtsov win the Calder? The short answer is maybe. The Russian winger is skillful, dynamic, and will certainly make his presence felt on Broadway.

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