Kravtsov: "If the coach doesn't see me on the roster, asking someone to get you in isn't right"

Vitali Kravtsov seems to hold no ill will towards the New York Rangers organization. That was the general tone of his conversation with Alexey Shevchenko of Sport Express upon his impending return to Russia.

Kravtsov, the team's 2018 1st round draft pick out of Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, resisted the senior journalist's attempt to make any loud statements, but rather laid out his situation with the organization in a calm and logical sense. He confirmed that he was told that he was meant to be a top-six forward, but there was currently no spots on the team for that. They wanted to see him in Hartford getting big minutes rather than seeing him play less than 10 a games on the 4th line. Since his expectation had been to make the team out of training camp, the Rangers told him to see the big picture, in which he plays as a top-six forward for the next 10 to 15 years.

His explanation for his issues in Hartford, such as being benched in one game and scratched in another was far more interesting. According to Kravtsov, players are regularly tested for their heart rate, even before and after workouts and practices. The staff at Hartford told him that his heart rate wasn't going up to the expected norms (180 bpm) of an athlete after a workout, and made the assumption that he was slacking. It took him some time to convince the staff that this is something completely normal for his body and his heart rarely, if ever, rises that high.

His decision to leave the AHL came down to him believing that he can hone his offensive skills better in the KHL than in a "straightforward" league like the AHL, as well as his unwillingness to sit and wait till a main roster injury forced the Rangers He confirmed that he can still be recalled by the Rangers during the season, but believes it to be highly unlikely.

When asked about Panarin and whether a word from him would have changed the outlook of the organization, Kravtsov firmly stated that he believes in fairness in sports, and if he is make the team, he should make it completely on his own merits.