Latest On Rangers’ Vitali Kravtsov
Young New York Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov remains at home in Russia, having requested a trade from the organization when he failed to crack the NHL roster. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that the team is holding out hope that he may return, but for now Kravstov is unwilling to consider rejoining the club. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman even notes that Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant called Kravtsov himself and asked him to come back, but to no avail. As Staple opines, the team needs to be cautious about potentially losing another top-ten draft pick and talented import after the Lias Andersson fiasco, but may not have another option.
Why the animosity from Kravtsov toward New York? While the official statement has been that the decision was made purely as a result of again not being afforded an NHL opportunity with the Rangers, Staple believes there is more going on behind the scenes. Multiple league sources have stated that the relationship between Kravtsov and GM Chris Drury is strained, to say the least. Dating back to his time as GM of the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack, Drury and Kravtsov have had a number of run-ins and Staple feels that Drury’s promotion signaled to Kravtsov that his time as a Ranger was over.
However, other opinions on the situation do exist. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks believes that Kravtsov’s malcontent is actually more about opportunity than it is about Drury. Brooks reports that Kravtsov was not just unhappy that he did not make the cut this year, but that he would never get a top-six chance with the Rangers. It is actually a grounded theory, as established stars Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider and recent top picks Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko appear to have a stranglehold on the top-six winger roles in the short- and long-term. (The one top-six roadblock that was moved was Pavel Buchnevich, who also happened to be a friend and mentor to Kravtsov.) It is very conceivable that Kravtsov, whose work ethic and drive have been called into question before, sees these players not as a challenge but as an excuse to ask for a move elsewhere.
Regardless of his reasoning, the fact remains that Kravtsov has requested a trade and it does not seem likely that he will back off of that stance any time soon. Though the Rangers are reportedly asking for a high price for the skilled, but unproved forward, they very well might just have to take the best offer they can get and move on, just as they did with Andersson. A recent report claimed that upwards of 15 teams have inquired about Kravtsov, though Staple qualifies that claim by noting that many teams are merely curious to get the background on the current situation. Brooks echoed that sentiment by adding that interest has been “lukewarm” and there are no hard offers on the table. A trade may not be that far off though, as Friedman hears that those teams who have talked to Kravtsov’s camp have been told that he does want to return to North America and may even be open to an AHL assignment, just not with the Rangers. The Chicago Blackhawks, who hold the other most talked-about trade target early this season, Dylan Strome (brother of Rangers’ Ryan Strome) are considered a suitor which could result in the resolution of two bad situations with one trade. Only time will tell, but if Kravtsov really has no intention of ever returning to New York then a trade should materialize sooner rather than later.
Metropolitan Notes: Blue Jackets, Lee, Rangers
For years, the Blue Jackets have been searching for help down the middle with those moves largely not panning out. Now, with the team entrenched in a rebuild, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that they may back off of that approach now. With the selections of Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger at the draft, the hope now is those two will represent their future at center, lessening the need to try to trade for a significant replacement. Portzline also notes that GM Jarmo Kekalainen has spoken about the ability to take on a bad contract to add other pieces for a rebuild. While such a move hasn’t happened yet, that could change depending on what happens in training camp as more players re-sign and injuries start to strike, potentially creating the need for some teams to move out money quickly.
More from the Metropolitan Division:
- Islanders forward Anders Lee believes that he has fully recovered from his torn ACL from late last season but he has not yet received full medical clearance, relays Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The captain was limited to just 27 games in 2020-21 due to the injury sustained in mid-March but he still managed to notch 19 points along the way. He could line up alongside Kyle Palmieri this coming season; Palmieri was initially acquired using the space created by Lee’s LTIR placement but re-signed earlier this summer.
- With the Rangers having extra depth on the left wing, GM Chris Drury acknowledged to reporters, including Newsday’s Colin Stephenson, that the team is considering shifting one of Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, or Alexis Lafreniere to the off-wing to ensure all of them play in the top six this coming season. If it happens to be Lafreniere that shifts over to give him a more prominent role, it’s possible that New York’s top three right wingers are him, Kaapo Kakko, and Vitali Kravtsov, all recent first-rounders. The last two will be restricted free agents next summer and will be hoping for bigger roles themselves in order to boost their negotiating leverage.
East Notes: Ovechkin, Penguins, Hart, Lafreniere
The Washington Capitals were without star forward Alex Ovechkin, who missed his first game Saturday (due to injury) since May 5, 2015 due to a lower-body injury. His ability to stay healthy throughout his career is one reason why many people believe that the 35-year-old has a chance to break the goals scored record (held by Wayne Gretzky). However, the forward will be a game-time decision on Tuesday against the Islanders as well, according to NHL.com.
“I think with some injuries, you don’t know what’s going to go on, whether somebody’s going to be available or not available and that’s why I think people say ‘day to day’, because they’re unsure,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said Saturday. “Will he be there for the next game? I’m not sure at this point, so we’ll err on the side of caution at this point in the season. We’re not going to risk anything as we head towards the playoffs, but hopefully he continues to improve.”
Ovechkin left late in the third period of Thursday’s game with the Islanders due to the injury. He has 24 goals in 43 games this season and sits sixth on the NHL all-time goals leaders with 730, just one short of tying Marcel Dionne.
- Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said (via the Penguins) that injured players Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau all skated Sunday morning with the taxi squad. While the coach admitted they all are making progress, he said their status with the team has not changed. Malkin has been out with a lower body injury since March 16. Tanev has appeared in just two games since March 18 with an upper-body injury, while Gaudreau has been out since April 11 with a lower-body injury.
- With just nine games remaining in the Philadelphia Flyers season, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Ed Barkowitz writes that one of the key things to watch is the return and the play of young goaltender Carter Hart. However, head coach Alain Vigneault has not indicated when Hart will return from the mild knee sprain he suffered on April 15, suggesting it might be a bit longer before he returns to the ice. The team is 1-2-1 without him since the injury.
- The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that New York Rangers rookie Alexis Lafreniere looked impressive Friday when he was promoted to the top line next to Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich when Chris Kreider sat out, scoring a goal and an assist in the process. The scribe writes that the team might benefit during the final stretch of games remaining this season to see what Lafreniere can do on the top line.
Snapshots: Lightning, Morin, Lafreniere
It’s well-known that Tampa Bay has to clear up some cap space and Wednesday’s re-signing of Mikhail Sergachev only further cemented that as it put them over the $81.5MM Upper Limit with two restricted free agents (center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak) still to sign. Speaking with reporters, including Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Julien BriseBois indicated that some progress has been made in trying to accomplish that:
There’s a lot of progress being made. We’re working on a bunch of different fronts, there’s a lot of balls up in the air. Nothing has materialized yet.
Even if Cirelli and Cernak take short-term contracts to keep the AAV down (which is the likeliest scenario at this point), it’s doubtful that moving out one player will be enough to get them back into compliance. Tyler Johnson is known to be available but he passed through waivers unclaimed earlier this offseason. With few teams having the ability to take on pricey contracts, BriseBois and the Lightning still have a lot of work to do.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Flyers defenseman Samuel Morin has fully recovered from his second ACL surgery, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 25-year-old has been limited to just 11 games combined over the past two seasons with Philadelphia and AHL Lehigh Valley and as a result, head coach Alain Vigneault believes that Morin will have to at least start next season with the Phantoms (assuming he clears waivers). He’s entering the final year of his contract and will have a lot of work to do to prove himself worth of a qualifying offer next offseason.
- Despite Canada’s World Junior team having to shut things down for two weeks for quarantining purposes, they haven’t ruled out the possibility of Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere joining them, Hockey Canada’s Scott Salmond told reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Discussions remain ongoing with New York about the top pick being made available. At this point, the uncertain status of the start of next season is likely holding things up but if it’s pushed back in the near future, it would become more palatable for Lafreniere to be made available.
New York Rangers Sign Alexis Lafreniere
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the first-overall pick doesn’t immediately join an organization when he is selected, but still needs to negotiate a contract. That wasn’t a problem in this case, as Alexis Lafreniere has inked his entry-level deal with the New York Rangers just a few days after being picked.
CapFriendly reports that the deal, like other contracts signed by first-overall picks, will be set at the entry-level max. It includes a base salary of $832.5K, $92,500 signing bonus, $850K in Schedule ‘A’ performance bonuses and $2MM in Schedule ‘B’ performance bonuses in all three years.
Those ‘B’ bonuses are difficult to reach and include things like finishing in the top ten for NHL goals, assists, points or points-per-game, winning major awards like the Hart or Selke trophies, or making the NHL first or second All-Star teams at year’s end. The ‘A’ bonuses are much easier milestones to reach and include things like scoring 20 goals, 60 points or finishing in the top six in team ice time.
Technically Lafreniere’s contract could slide forward like any other prospect, but the young forward will play this season with the Rangers and thus burn the first year of the deal. If all goes well, he will be a restricted free agent in 2023.
New York Rangers Select Alexis Lafreniere First Overall
The New York Rangers have added another franchise talent. After selecting Kaapo Kakko with the second pick in 2019, the Rangers lucked into another lottery win this year and the right to select any draft-eligible player they want. Though names like Quinton Byfield or Tim Stuetzle may have been tempting in any other year, the team had no choice but to select the consensus top prospect Alexis Lafreniere.
There is almost nothing that Lafreniere can’t do on an ice rink. Growing up just outside of Montreal, it didn’t take long for prospect watchers to recognize that he may be one of the next great talents to come out of the province of Quebec.
When it came time for the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, there was little doubt who would be off the board first. The Rimouski Oceanic, the same junior program that had produced Sidney Crosby more than ten years earlier, selected Lafreniere ahead of Samuel Poulin and Jakob Pelletier, both players who ended up going in the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. Lafreniere was different though, and it wouldn’t take him long to show it.
Because of his late birthday—October 11th—Lafreniere would actually make his debut for Rimouski at age-15. He recorded 11 shots on goal over his first three games but would come away with just a single assist and four penalty minutes. It wasn’t until October 1st, ten days before his 16th birthday, when he would score his first two QMJHL goals. In the games that followed, he would add 40 to that total and lead the Rimouski in both goals and points despite being several years younger than his teammates. A CHL Rookie of the Year award awaited him following the 2017-18 season, along with plenty of other individual accolades.
They wouldn’t end there.
In each of the next two seasons, Lafreniere would not only lead his team in scoring, but dominate the competition on a nightly basis. In 113 regular season games he scored 217 points, winning CHL Player of the Year in each season despite leaving his team both years to compete in the World Juniors for Canada, the youngest player since Connor McDavid to make that prestigious roster.
At the most recent tournament, he showed everyone why he would be picked first by the Rangers ten months later. With Canada down 3-0 at the hands of Team Russia, a tournament powerhouse, Lafreniere would drive the net to try and get his team back into the game. His left knee would be trapped underneath his body as he attempted a backhand shot. The arena was silent as the consensus top prospect writhed in pain on the ice. Canada would lose that game 6-0 and looked like they had also lost their best player.
Fears of surgery and the end of his season raced through the thoughts of hockey fans all over the world, but an MRI after the game would report no structural damage. Lafreniere would return later in the tournament, just in time to lift the Canadians to a gold medal victory over that same Russian team. He would end up playing nearly 24 minutes for Canada in the gold medal matchup, recording an assist on two goals including the Barrett Hayton mark that tied it with just under nine minutes remaining.
Lafreniere had been the expected 2020 first-overall pick for years, but at that tournament, he sealed it. He’ll now join a young, dynamic Rangers team that already has a Hart Trophy candidate in Artemi Panarin and enough talent to really compete in the years to come.
A powerful skater, a brilliant playmaker and armed with a competitive drive that rivals anyone in the NHL. Lafreniere doesn’t shy away from contact like some outstanding offensive talents, in fact, he seeks it out all over the ice and improves his play in the biggest moments. Can he dominate for the Rangers as quickly as he has at every other level? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Snapshots: First Overall, Fleury, Season Start
The New York Rangers have received “plenty” of calls on the first-overall pick before tonight’s draft according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, but continue to rebuff those interested. Seravalli reports that Rangers even received an offer from the Los Angeles Kings to swap top picks (the Kings hold the second-overall selection) but have “zero intention” of moving off number one.
That would certainly suggest that the Rangers agree with the rest of the world and will select Alexis Lafreniere first this evening. While Quinton Byfield and Tim Stuetzle are supremely talented players that will make their respective franchises very happy, there’s just no comparison to the potential that Lafreniere brings as a do-it-all superstar. The 18-year-old winger has won the CHL Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons and showed the world what kind of a competitor he was at the World Juniors, physically dominating his opponents and returning from a knee injury to help Canada win a gold medal (and take home the tournament MVP honors).
- The Vegas Golden Knights are trying hard to move Marc-Andre Fleury, as Seravalli reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that they are trying to encourage teams to act as a “broker” and take on some of Fleury’s cap hit in a three-team deal. The Toronto Maple Leafs did something similar for Vegas this season when they assumed part of Robin Lehner‘s salary in exchange for a fifth-round pick, but the Golden Knights are offering an even bigger prize to teams willing to help them facilitate a Fleury trade. Seravalli reports that Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon has offered a second-round pick to that broker team, but so far that hasn’t been enough to eat the $3.5MM that the Golden Knights are hoping for. Instead, teams like the Carolina Hurricanes who have been involved could be asking for as much as a first- and second-round pick in order to take on that much salary over the final two seasons of Fleury’s deal.
- While the hockey world goes crazy over this week of draft and free agent frenzy, remember that the 2020-21 season is not going to start for quite some time. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed today what many have speculated on, that the league is now looking at January 1, 2021 as a potential start date for next season. Previously, the league had listed December 1 as the target, but that always seemed optimistic.
Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi
Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.
- Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
- Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.
West Notes: Kings, DeMelo, Pospisil
The New York Rangers were the big winners at the NHL Draft Lottery, meaning the Westen Conference won’t have to deal with Alexis Lafreniere on a regular basis, right? Well, as Lisa Dillman examined for The Athletic, if the Los Angeles Kings or another team with a high pick came calling the Rangers would have to listen. The Kings have arguably the best prospect group in the entire NHL already and could potentially create quite a package of assets for the first overall selection.
While the Kings have that impressive prospect base and several high picks, the Ottawa Senators are primed to make a huge splash at this year’s draft as well. Not only do they hold the third and fifth overall selections, but they also have an incredible seven picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. Nine if you extend that to the third round, and 13 in total for 2020.
- Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff liked the fit for trade deadline acquisition Dylan DeMelo, but hasn’t started negotiations yet for a new contract according to Murat Ates of The Athletic. The team will “definitely take a look” at a new deal with the pending free agent, who ended up playing just 14 total games for the Jets after arriving from Ottawa partway through the season. The 27-year old DeMelo recorded just ten points in 59 games this season and is coming off a two-year deal that carried a $900K cap hit.
- Martin Pospisil, who signed his three-year entry-level contract in 2019, will be playing in Slovakia for the time being. The Calgary Flames prospect has been loaned to HC Kosice for the next few months but is expected back for NHL training camp. Pospisil played 26 games for the Stockton Heat of the AHL this season, recording ten points.
Alexis Lafreniere Will Not Report To QMJHL, Will Not Play In Europe
Alexis Lafreniere is confident he’ll be playing in New York next season. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the consensus first-overall pick has decided that he will not report to training camp for the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL or go overseas to play in Europe for the next few months. Instead, he intends on training individually and preparing for the NHL season.
The 18-year old Lafreniere was always expected to go straight to the NHL after his draft, but the uncertainty of when that 2020-21 season actually will begin created some confusion at how he would handle things. McKenzie did note that if the NHL season doesn’t begin in December or January as expected, he will then review his options.
It is interesting to note that the IIHF is still hoping to hold the 2021 World Junior Championship, scheduled to begin on December 26th in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. If the NHL season still hasn’t begun by then, perhaps Lafreniere—who will still only be 19 and eligible—could represent Canada one last time at the tournament. He was named MVP of the event this year, scoring 10 points and leading Canada to a gold medal.
In any case, you won’t be seeing Lafreniere in Rimouski this fall as he ends his CHL career with two consecutive Player of the Year awards.