2/13/23 | 8:57PM: Gerard Gallant spoke about Kravtsov today and said (NYR): “It’s not easy. Like I said, I think I’ve mentioned before to him and you guys that he’s a top nine player, and right now, he’s not in our top nine and he’s not going to be a fourth-line player, he doesn’t play in that role for our team. We like him, I like him, he’s a good kid. He’s got to continue to work hard when the chance is available, take advantage of it. You don’t give anything to anybody, you got to make them earn it. Again, I’m happy with the way our guys played the other night…our top nine has been really good and if you look at one of those spots and say ‘take him out to put Kravy in,’ I don’t know where you do it. I like…Kravy has come a long way this year, it’s not that we don’t like him, I’m putting out my top-nine forwards out there and right now he’s not one of them.”

11AM: On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said “Chris Drury is really quiet, he’s another one of the super quiet GMs, so it’s difficult to find out what is going on here. It’s possible, the GMs are really careful about this chain now, so they tend to be more careful. I think it’s possible the Rangers sent something out on him yesterday, nobody would confirm it. He played Friday, didn’t play Saturday and I think there is an understanding now that the time has come and I think the Rangers have made it very clear that if you have interest in Kravtsov, give us a call. I think we’ll see where this goes. I think it’s clear that the coach is not a huge fan and the player wants to play and you do reach a point where you’ve gotta say ‘okay, it’s time’ and I think we are at the point now with the Rangers.”

8AM:  Larry Brooks confirms that Kravtsov has requested another trade if he isn’t going to be in their immediate plans. (NY Post)

2/11/23 | Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts on Hockey Night in Canada that he thinks Kravtsov has “been made available.”

2/10/23 | What Vitali Kravtsov’s spot on the Trocheck line might mean

Jeff Marek said on his radio show on Friday that Vitali Kravtsov’s spot on the line with Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider “raises an eyebrow” and later on called it a “showcase.”

Elliotte Freidman was on the show and said about Kravtsov’s spot on that line, “that is interesting about Kravtsov…first of all, there was a rumor yesterday that Kravtsov was in the deal, which obviously turned out to be incorrect, he wasn’t. But I think the player, I think the player has made it clear that if he is not going to play there that he would like to go somewhere else, the opportunity to go somewhere else. And it’s not the first time that has happened, the relationship with Kravtsov and the Rangers has been on again and off again. One thing that is very clear about Chris Drury, that we’ve learned about him in the short time he’s been a GM, he doesn’t like to give players away for free. He didn’t put Blais on waivers, he put him in the trade, he didn’t put Hajek on waivers until yesterday because he had to….he didn’t put Hajek on waivers until he absolutely had to, I’m not surprised he’s not doing this with Kravtsov. I think the player has made it clear that he would like a change of scenery if this isn’t going to work for him.”

Gerard Gallant said of the move to put Kravtsov with Trocheck and Kreider “we want to give him an opportunity. He played 20 games in a row, thought it fell off a little bit and you know what, you’re getting back in, go play with some good, skilled players and find a spot and see if it works out.” (NYR)

Asked what he wants to see from Kravtsov, Gallant said “I want to see him put the puck in the net, play with good skill and work hard. He’s shown some good spurts of that at times. Again, it wasn’t enough. It’s an opportunity there for him to play up there and we’ll see what he does, take advantage of it.” (NYR)