NY Rangers Surprisingly Select Vitali Kravtsov 9th Overall

The Yotes & their young GM John Chayka went off the board for center Barrett Hayton, shifting a boatload of talent down a rung to where the Rangers simply couldn’t lose. After Arizona made their selection, the Rangers were guaranteed to get one of Zadina, Wahlstrom, Hughes, Dobson, Boqvist or Bouchard. Zadina went next, followed by blueliners Hughes & Boqvist – leaving the target I wanted all along for the Blueshirts. Oliver “Oochie Ollie Wahlly” Wahlstrom…

…but the Rangers reached just like they did last year with Lias Andersson & broke my heart.

Here’s what I wrote about Vitali Kravtsov recently:

The young Russian could be a surprise call if the Rangers have their sights set on a potential franchise forward with the 9th overall pick. If Wahlstrom & Kotkaniemi are gone along with Svechnikov & Zadina, the 6’2 185-pound Kravtsov may be the next best option in terms of scoring ceiling. I’m excluding Brady Tkachuk because, although he could be an excellent pro, he doesn’t have the pure offensive talent the others do. Kravtsov is a big, strong skater who can handle the puck & finish. He’s certainly more of a goal scorer than playmaker and surprisingly isn’t knocked for his defensive game.

Kravtsov started to make a bit of a name for himself when he became the youngest ever to score a KHL playoff goal as a 17 year-old. Last season, he was pegged into a third line role until the playoffs when he exploded for 11 points in 16 games. It’s a real small sample size but that performance as a kid among KHL men is extremely impressive & teams will want to buy low on this raw combination of size & skill. There’s no doubt he’ll spend a couple more years fine-tuning his toolbox over in Russia so, similar to Boqvist, this is a pick that won’t provide any immediate dividends. The Rangers shocked everyone a year ago reaching for their guy Lias Andersson. If there’s gonna be a repeat performance, Kravtsov could absolutely be their target if the draft shakes a certain way.

Kravtsov is certainly talented – but a much riskier proposition than a sniper like Wahlstrom. I don’t get it, and we’re gonna have to wait a while to see if it’s the right move. I’d have understood taking Dobson or Bouchard. I’m just not sold on a kid with such a small sample size of success. Time will tell.

P.S. – Wahlstrom just went to the Islanders at #11. I’m broken.

P.P.S. – Rangers trade picks #26 & #48 to Ottawa in exchange for pick #22 to select D K’Andre Miller, who will be skating for Wisconsin this upcoming season. He’s a big (6’3 200 lbs), strong, fast, naturally athletic kid who crushed the NHL combine. Miller is an incredible skater who played forward until about 3 years ago so he’s obviously a bit raw on the defensive side, but has all the physical tools to be molded into a highly mobile banger on the blueline 2-3 years down the road. I knew he was a popular name towards the bottom of the draft but I didn’t peg him as someone teams would trade up for. The Blueshirts are clearly targeting upside over all else so far.

P.P.S.S. – With their final first rounder, NY tabs 17 year-old Nils Lundkvist at #28. The right-shot D from Sweden is more in the mold of the undersized (5’11 173) defenders that have grown more popular in recent years. He’s a solid skater with a high hockey IQ who, like many defensive draftees, needs to fill out & fine-tune his d-zone play. He doesn’t have the flash or offensive upside as the guys who went ahead of him but has a much more balanced, polished game despite being one of the youngest picks. Lundkvist played big minutes in the Swedish Hockey League as a kid against pros and held his own. While there’s upside here, he’s certainly projected to be a high-floor player whenever he’s physically ready for the NHL. If nothing else, it’ll be great to keep the Lundq(k)vist name alive.