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Vitali Kravtsov to open 2020-21 season in KHL |
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Larry Brooks reported today that Vitali Kravtsov will open the 2020-21 season in the KHL, playing for the same coach he had in his draft season. While many will go into a panic, with a set date for the start of the KHL season - two weeks from now as compared to that of the AHL and also for all we know the NHL, each of which might start in December or possible January - this allows Kravtsov to get additional development and remain active. Kravtsov is being loaned, and as Brooks notes, this was a collaborative effort with his agent, so all parties are on the same page.
Question #8 of my
top-25 off-season questions was:
Will Vitali Kravtsov be in the Opening Night lineup? We now may have our answer, but since he is being loaned, that allows the Rangers to bring him back to the US at any time. Brooks added that the Blueshirts have the right to recall Kravtsov when the NHL gets underway, so this is another way that JD is building relationships with his players and their agents, finding solutions to potential problems. Kravtsov stopped playing in March when AHL shut down and didn't play in the play-in tournament, so getting him ice time now in a structured team environment should aid his development.
With Lias Andersson staying in Sweden, having Kravtsov go back to Russia, optically isn't ideal. The hope is that this is just to get him work, but I understand the consternation of seeing another high pick go overseas. In addition, keep in mind that this is a trend of prospects due to the uncertainty with the start date and season, seen also with Nils Lundkvist opting to remain in the SHL for another year and Yegor Rykov also loaned to the KHL. But once the NHL starts in December or January, Kravtsov will be able to rejoin the Rangers, though the possibility exists that will happen after the completion of the KHL campaign.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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