The Canucks made an addition late into this offseason yesterday, with winger Vitali Kravtsov signing a one-year, two-way contract valued at $775k. This is his second tenure with Vancouver, as he last played 16 games with the team after being acquired just ahead of the 2022-23 trade deadline, in a move that sent Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to the New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers]. INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE Kravtsov, hailing from the Russian city of Vladivostok on the eastern Pacific coast, spent the last two seasons playing with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL [https://thehockeynews.com/international]. He scored 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 55 games in the 2023-24 season, his first back in Russia, and was sixth in league scoring in the regular season, with 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 66 games. Through 33 playoff games played over the two seasons, Kravtsov had 12 points (nine goals, three assists) and helped Traktor to the Gagarin Cup Finals last season, where they lost to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in five games. The 25-year-old winger has spent much of his career outside of North America within the Chelyabinsk system, having played parts of multiple seasons with Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk and Chelmet Chelyabinsk, the junior and minor affiliates of Traktor Chelyabinsk, respectively. Kravtsov also spent multiple stints with Traktor Chelyabinsk prior to his latest move back, having spent much of his early career with the major team, and was loaned to the team for the 2021-22 season by the New York Rangers. In 2018, he set the record [https://en.khl.ru/news/2018/03/21/384287.html] for most points by an 18-year-old in the KHL postseason, with 11 (six goals, five assists) through 16 games, as well as being named the league’s Best Rookie with the Aleksei Cherepanov Award [https://www.eliteprospects.com/awards/khl?name=KHL%20Aleksei%20Cherepanov%20(Best%20Rookie)%20Award]. Overall, Kravtsov has 160 points (81 goals, 79 assists) in 288 KHL regular-season games across eight seasons, and 40 points (25 goals, 15 assists) in 79 playoff games across seven appearances. Vancouver Canucks Sign Vitali Kravtsov To A One-Year Contract [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9e740e63-2eab-4093-8dd4-a29d0cea6db4.webp] Vancouver Canucks Sign Vitali Kravtsov To A One-Year Contract The Vancouver Canucks are bringing back winger Vitali Kravtsov. Vancouver has announced that they have signed the 25-year-old to a one-year, two way contract. Now 25, Kravtsov has spent the last two seasons in the KHL, playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/vancouver-canucks-sign-vitali-kravtsov-to-a-one-year-contract] Kravtsov was drafted ninth overall during the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, just two picks after Canucks captain Quinn Hughes. Later that year, he played in the 2019 World Junior Championships, hosted in Vancouver, where he won a bronze medal with Russia, scoring two goals and earning four assists. He played 39 games in the 2019-20 season for the Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ahl] affiliate of the Rangers, scoring 15 points (six goals, nine assists) with his first experience of North American professional hockey. NEW NHL BEGINNINGS He made his NHL debut for the Rangers on April 3, 2021, in a shootout loss against the Buffalo Sabres [http://thn.com/buffalo] — his first of 20 games in the 2020-21 season for the Original Six team. Kravtsov earned his first NHL point on April 11, 2021, with an assist on a goal from Brendan Smith in an overtime loss to the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders], and netted his first NHL goal a week later on April 18, during a 5–3 Rangers win against the New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils]. He would score another goal and assist each before the season ended, and he would head back to Russia the following year after tensions [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/rangers-want-top-prospect-vitali-kravtsov-refused-ahl-assignment/] with the Rangers' front office surfaced. Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/]: Canucks Elias Pettersson "Learning From What Happened Last Season To Become A Better And More Mature Player For Next Year." [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/players/canucks-elias-pettersson-learning-from-what-happened-last-season-to-become-a-better-and-more-mature-player-for-next-year] Vancouver Canucks 2025–26 Player Preview: Aatu Räty [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/players/vancouver-canucks-2025-26-player-preview-aatu-raty] Vancouver Canucks 2025–26 Season Series Preview: Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/vancouver-canucks-2025-26-season-series-preview-chicago-blackhawks] Kravtsov returned to the NHL for the 2022-23 season, where he had six points (three goals, three assists) in 28 games with the Rangers before being traded to the Canucks, where he scored one goal and one assist. As a restricted free agent, he was extended a qualifying offer at the conclusion of the season by the Canucks, but opted to head back to Chelyabinsk, though the Canucks maintained his NHL signing rights. FAMILIAR FACES The Russian winger now returns to a Canucks team that looks vastly different from the one he originally played with. Gone are big names like Rick Tocchet behind the bench and JT Miller on it alongside him, and he is reunited with his former Rangers linemate in Filip Chytil. The two spent 123 minutes together on the ice across 44 games in two separate seasons, mostly on the third line. Chytil and Kravtsov on ice together combined [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/linestats.php?fromseason=20202021&thruseason=20222023&stype=2&sit=all&score=all&rate=n&team=NYR&vteam=ALL&view=wowy&loc=B&gpfilt=none&fd=2022-10-07&td=2023-04-14&tgp=2000&strict=incl&p1=8480833&p2=8480078&p3=0&p4=0&p5=0] for a Corsi For Percentage of 57.80%, a goals for of 75% against an expected goals for of 59.09%, a shooting percentage of 8.11%, and a PDO of 1.085, above the league average of 1.00, and the 2023-24 [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php?fromseason=20232024&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=all&score=all&rate=n&team=all&loc=B&gpf=410&fd=&td=] league-leading Canucks PDO of 1.025. The last time the two played extended minutes together was on January 16, 2023, where Chytil assisted on Kravtsov’s final goal as a Blueshirt in a 3–1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets [http://thn.com/columbus]. In his first tenure with the Canucks, Kravtsov spent the majority of his time on the fourth line, with 12 of his 16 games spent there. He made two appearances on the third line and two late-season appearances on the first line with Elias Pettersson as his center. On the current Canucks lineup, his highest ceiling is likely the middle six, though I would not be surprised if he spends most of his time in the bottom six, or if he is sent to Abbotsford [http://thn.com/ahl] to start the season, despite being eligible for waivers. I’d anticipate Kravtsov working on a third or fourth line to start with Nils Åman — who he also played with twice his first time in Vancouver — or Aatu Räty as his center, assuming the team keep Chytil on as the second line center with Conor Garland and Evander Kane as his wingers. Injuries or impressive performance could lift him to the second line at some point this season with Chytil, or an elevation or trade of another center could move Chytil down to the bottom six with his former Rangers linemate. Still, he will be fighting for a spot on the big league wings come training camp against experienced Canucks like Nils Höglander, Max Sasson, Drew O’Connor, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Arshdeep Bains, and Linus Karlsson. Overall, though, the return of Kravtsov carries a low risk, as forward depth can become an issue as the season goes on, and a league minimum deal for one year adds stability and professional experience to the Canucks winger depth chart. Mar 23, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov (91) against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5c634439-ea08-48ba-b963-c60fa5168cf3.jpeg] Mar 23, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN;Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov (91) against the San Jose Sharks in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwr-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. The Hockey News [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/89116425-5ccc-4d8a-ab71-c6160c87320a.webp] The Hockey News
