The relationship between prospect Vitali Kravtsov and the Rangers isn’t healing any time soon.
What also isn’t happening any time soon is Kravtsov suiting up for the Blueshirts.
After the Rangers reportedly gave the 2018 first-round pick permission to seek a trade, he is now in his home country of Russia, and likely not coming back until he is indeed traded, according to The Athletic.
Kravtsov and general manager Chris Drury have butted heads for two years. First, Kravtsov was miserable in the minors and went to play in the KHL. That prompted Drury to tell the then-19-year-old that he had “quit” on his AHL teammates.
Per The Athletic, Kravtsov was given a chance to impress while in the Toronto bubble, but during the team’s abbreviated playoff run, Drury ripped him apart in practice for his lack of work ethic, and he also missed a team bus to the rink.
Kravtsov also took the trade of Pavel Buchnevich hard, as the latter tried to help the youngster adjust to life in New York.
With both Ryan Strome and Kaapo Kakko out for the foreseeable future, Kravtsov could have been an option, but since he was not in Hartford, he never even had a chance to be called up.
A trade, however, isn’t imminent, per The Athletic. So it’s truly unknown when Kravtsov will see NHL ice again.