Just one day after trading for the talented, young defenseman, Adam Fox, the New York Rangers received another bit of good news on Wednesday morning.
The Kontinental Hockey League, Russia’s professional league, announced that Rangers prospect and 19-year-old winger Vitali Kravtsov is making his way to the NHL next season.
It was only a matter of time before the move was made official when Kravtsov posted an emotional goodbye on his Instagram to thank his KHL club, Chelyabinsk Traktor.
Kravtsov was selected ninth overall by the Rangers at the 2018 NHL Draft but had to return to Russia to see out the remainder of his contract, which expired on Tuesday.
The young winger posted eight goals and 13 assists in 50 games with Chelyabinsk this season. He also had a strong showing at the World Junior U-20 Championships, posting six points in seven games with the Russian National Team.
Kravtsov is considered to be one of the top prospects in hockey right now. ESPN ranked him No. 11 in their top-50 just last month.
At 6-foot-4, 183 pounds, this is a forward with plenty of size that possesses an ability to produce while playing any style. He has the finesse to produce like a top-six forward with the grit and physicality that will make it difficult to take the puck away.
With the addition of Fox on Tuesday, the Rangers now have four of the NHL’s top-50 prospects, per ESPN, in Kravtsov, Fox, goalie Igor Shestyorkin, and defenseman K’Andre Miller.
