Vancouver Canucks Place Vitali Kravtsov on Unconditional Waivers
In a surprising twist just months after securing a contract aimed at reinstating him in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks have placed Vitali Kravtsov on unconditional waivers, signaling their intent to terminate his contract. The Canucks had initially acquired Kravtsov, a former first-round draft choice selected ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 2018, to add offensive depth to their middle-six forwards.
However, despite hopes for his role in the lineup, he failed to make the cut during training camp and has spent the current season exclusively with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL.
Kravtsov’s Journey and Performance
After his contract with the Rangers ended in 2023, Kravtsov returned to the KHL, where he played for Traktor Chelyabinsk for two seasons. His time in Russia proved successful, culminating in a productive 2024-25 season where he scored 27 goals and notched 31 assists across 66 games. This performance prompted Vancouver to give him another chance in the NHL, leading to his signing in the 2025 offseason.
Despite participating in training camp and a few preseason outings for the Canucks, Kravtsov could not fulfill expectations and was demoted to the AHL after a lackluster start in the NHL.
Current Situation and Team Challenges
During his time with the Abbotsford Canucks, he recorded a goal and three assists in ten games. The timing of this contract termination comes as both Vancouver and Abbotsford face significant player shortages due to injuries, including notable absences like Conor Garland, Teddy Blueger, and Filip Chytil at the NHL level, along with missing personnel such as Jett Woo and Guillaume Brisebois in the AHL.
With Kravtsov’s departure, the Canucks find themselves needing to fill yet another vacancy in their AHL roster.
