What’s going on with Kravtsov, a healthy scratch in Hartford?

The New York Rangers top farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack, won both of their games this weekend.   It was a great start and there were a lot of positives.  One negative was that Vitali Kravtsov was a healthy scratch in their second game.

New York Rangers top prospect Vitali Kravtsov was sent to Hartford in the last series of  cuts in training camp.  After the Wolf Pack opened their season this weekend, there are some questions about Kravtsov and why he was a healthy scratch.

Kravtsov played in Hartford’s first game Saturday, going scoreless and minus one on the game.  He didn’t make the lineup for the second game on Sunday and on the broadcast it was announced he was a healthy scratch.   The Pack does not play another game until next Saturday.   Being a healthy scratch doesn’t jibe with Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton’s comments when they sent him down. Gorton said Kravtsov needed to play.  Emphasis on the word “play.”

"“He’s a highly-skilled guy that’s a young player that’s trying to figure out North American hockey, and I think he shows flashes of really good things — specifically on the power play…I think we saw his skill. We can all see his thinking, his skill, his hands. I don’t think he’s too far away, but I think 20 minutes  is a better service to him than six, seven, eight minutes or not knowing if he’s going be in the lineup.” – Jeff Gorton"

Kravtsov had spent the summer in North America, learning to speak English and working out with other NHL players.  He had an excellent showing at the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City and steadily improved throughout training camp.  He must have been surprised and disappointed when assigned to the AHL.  To add insult to injury, per the CBA, a player on an Entry Level Contract ($925k) gets paid only $70k if in the minor leagues.

All reports (from social media) are that he had a so-so game on Saturday and was subsequently scratched, replaced in the lineup by Ville Meskanen.  Kravtsov was the only skater who played Saturday who didn’t play on Sunday.

It’s too early to read too much into the situation in Hartford, but the Rangers have to know that Kravtsov has a European Assignment Clause in his contract and at any point could return to the KHL to play for Traktor (who retained his KHL rights).

Remember, the Rangers decided to keep Greg McKegg and sign Micheal Haley while sending the young Russian to the AHL.    It’s debatable whether Kravtsov should be playing in the NHL instead of Brendan Smith Vladislav Namestnikov, Brendan Lemieux or Jesper Fast (bottom six wingers), but it has to be better to be a healthy scratch in the NHL than in the AHL.

One argument for the AHL assignment was the lack of games on the Rangers’ schedule in October.  When the Blueshirts take on the Washington Capitals on October 18, they will have played all of four games.  Guess what?  By October 18, the Wolf Pack will have played exactly four games, just like the Rangers.  So much for frequency of play.