The New Russian Five: How His Countrymen Can Aid Vitali Kravtsov’s Development

It might be time to start calling Madison Square Garden “Moscow West.”

Over the past four seasons, the Rangers have seen an influx of Russian talent. Pavel Buchnevich arrived in 2016-17. Alexandar Georgiev (who was born in Bulgaria but raised in Russia) joined the Blueshirts a year later. Vladislav Namestikov played 99 games for the Rangers from 2017 to 2019. This season brought Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin into the fold. If Vitali Kravtsov and Yegor Rykov make strides in their development, they could find themselves on the NHL roster in 2020-21. A total of six Russians on the roster would surpass the high watermark of five currently held by the Washington Capitals.

Kravtsov, in particular, is a compelling case. The ninth overall pick in the 2018 draft is a highly touted player, ranking 23rd among the NHL’s top-100 prospects, according to The Hockey News’ recent Future Watch issue. He performed well during the Traverse City Prospects Tournament last summer and had a strong training camp but failed to make the Rangers’ NHL roster.

“I thought Vitali got better as it went on, which is good to see,” said Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton of Kravtsov’s five-point performance in the tournament, according to Lohud.com. “He’s got to get acclimated to a different-sized rink and everything like that, but he looks good.”

Just five games into the AHL season, he exercised the European assignment clause in his contract and bolted to Russia. The consistency issues Kravtsov faced in North America carried over to the KHL, and he was headed back to the States by December. In his second AHL stint, he started to round into form and posted 15 points in 39 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Based on his development and the lack of depth beyond the Rangers’ top-6 forward group, Kravtsov has a substantial opportunity to land in the NHL next season. For any international player, there’s a challenge in acclimating to a new country and culture. Sometimes it directly influences their ability to be successful on the ice. Kravtsov has the benefit of entering a dressing room with four of his countrymen, a surefire asset in his mission to get comfortable at the NHL level and maximize his potential.

“It’s huge for European players when they come over to have someone they can talk to,” said Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voráček. “If you don’t understand, they help you to translate it. It’s a big part to make you feel comfortable.”

Voráček, a native of the Czech Republic, first came over to North America at the age of 16. His experience differed from from Kravtsov in that he had almost no English language skills at the time. Kravtsov, on the other hand, was comfortable enough to do an interview without a translator on TV last summer. But the common denominator is finding comfort in a new environment.

And for Voráček, he found that through a mentor inside his own dressing room while playing junior hockey for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He credits a fellow Czech teammate, Jiri Suchy, in aiding his transition. During Voráček’s second year in Halifax, Tomáš Knotek joined the Mooseheads, and Voráček stepped right up to mentor his countryman and help him adjust.

“Jakub was really important for me because I didn’t understand a thing they said,” Knotek said via email.

Knotek remembers Voráček had to do “almost everything” for him at first – translating, doing interviews, ordering food and more. Ironically, the biggest favor Voráček did for him was temporarily leaving to join the Columbus Blue Jackets in training camp.

“[That] time probably helped me the most with my English because I had to speak,” Knotek said. “I didn’t have him here to do it for me. So then, my English [improved] a lot.”

Stories like Voráček’s and Knotek’s persist among international players. When Panarin first signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, fellow Russian Artem Anisimov served as his “de facto linguist,” according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Having another Czech-native in Jiri Tlusty around helped New Jersey Devils forward Pavel Zacha with his transition to the NHL. When the Flyers called up rookie center German Rubtsov for a brief stint earlier this season, Philadelphia defenseman Ivan Provorov made himself available to his compatriot.

“[I] just try to help as much as I can,” Provorov said. “Make sure [they] understand everything and if they’re comfortable. If they need help, I’m always here.”

And in the way Rubtsov had a resource in Provorov or Knotek in Voráček, Kravtsov has his choice among four players with similar backgrounds. As forwards, Panarin and Buchnevich could both provide insight on adapting to the NHL as a Russian winger, even if they have different styles of play. Kravtsov has a plethora of talent and a bright future in the NHL, and having several friendly faces around may be the key to unlocking his potential.