You can be excused if you forgot Vitali Kravtsov's previous Vancouver Canucks incarnation. It lasted all of 16 NHL games and wasn't exactly a blockbusting deal when he arrived. With one goal and one assist in that time, why did general manager Patrik Allvin decide to bring him back?
Kravstov was drafted ninth overall back in 2018, mostly because of his skating. He was moving between the MHL and VHL (the junior and minor KHL feeder leagues), so had played some time against adults by the time he was picked.
His time in the KHL came late and was heavily protected, as you would expect with a 17-year-old. There were few points, but that he got into 35 games was impressive. Even better, he showed up for the playoffs, boosting his draft value considerably.
But that wasn't what got scouts' attention. Well before the playoffs began, it was his skating. He was over six feet tall and not just fast, but quick. He didn't just charge into the zone and hope for the best, but could out-maneuver defencemen on the way.
That didn't translate well to North America. The Rangers started him in Hartford, much to his dismay, and he sulked his way back to Russia. He didn't do a whole lot there, either, and returned to the Wolf Pack after a month. Then COVID hit, and a whole lot of young players had their development thrown into a blender.
Back to Russia to kick off the 2020-21 year, where he leaned in to building a shoot-first mentality. He rejoined the Rangers when the KHL season wrapped up and didn't convince them to offer much of an extension.
The feeling was mutual, but contracts being what they are, Kravtsov started 2022-23 with the Rangers on a one-year deal. Any ideas of showcasing him for a trade were for naught, as he scored just three goals and six points in 28 games.
Good news for the Rangers, though, as they found a team desperate for size, skating, and maybe a hint of offence: the Vancouver Canucks. A trade for William Lockwood and a seventh-round pick later, and Kravtsov switched coasts.
Alas, that didn't restart his lost scoring touch. The team qualified him, but wasn't exactly shedding tears as he returned once more to his old KHL team, Traktor Chelyabinsk.
He seems to have found his feet this time around. Perhaps it's because he's more comfortable with his environment, and perhaps he's just maturing into his ability. Whatever the reason, he's scored 45 goals and 92 points in 121 KHL games and was a presence in the playoffs.
With a caveat, that is. He had more KHL playoff points in his draft year (6 goals, 11 points in 16 games) than he did this year (6 goals, 7 points in 19 games). On the other hand, he played further down the lineup when he was young and took advantage. That's a different role than being expected to lead your team.
These recent results have inspired him to try his hand at the NHL once more. So he found a team that was desperate for size, skating, and some offence that just happened to have his rights: the Vancouver Canucks.
Kravtsov has a league-minimum, two-way deal and will be hard-pressed to find a spot with Vancouver. As they are currently configured, in any case. There are plenty of players in Vancouver's system who have earned a shot at the bigs, especially on the wing.
All of them are more reliable defensively than Kravtsov right now, and that matters. If you aren't scoring, then the other team shouldn't be, either, is a mantra for any team's bottom six. And we don't know if Kravtsov can score in the NHL.
So why is he here? The Canucks need a centre, not another winger! Saying that, should a winger get moved in a trade, then having a skilled, offence-oriented replacement handy at a rock-bottom price? Very convenient, indeed.
Suddenly, it feels far more important to show up to training camp in game shape.
The KHL and the NHL have very different coaching styles, producing wildly different results. Don't expect leading KHL scorer Josh Leivo (remember him?) to return to the NHL and drop a point-per-game in 2025-26.
Players who can score in Russia are given far more leeway than they are in the NHL. Extra-long shifts, minimal defensive responsibility, and hanging around the opponent's blue line aren't always discouraged. It makes for very entertaining hockey to watch, but doesn't inspire disciplined play.
Kravtsov isn't waiver-exempt, so if he gets sent down to the AHL, there is a chance he'll get snagged by another team. The Canucks likely won't risk that if they've already traded away someone more established to bring in a centre. And to be sure there, they'll want a look at what he can do.
If this works out like hoped, then Kravtsov will be in the Canucks top-six, likely with some power play time. He has multiple weapons with which he can score, from elevating in front of the net to a quick wrist shot beyond the circles. And he's fast enough to get there, with the size to stay.
If he doesn't prove himself quickly, then the team will probably send him down. That's when he'll have the best chance to clear. If he does show why he was a top-ten pick in 2018, then he'll be a good asset to have, either in a deal or as a call-up. If he doesn't, well, Abbotsford lost some veterans and could use more.
In an ideal world, Kravtsov has learned his lesson and returns to the NHL a wiser man. He has scoring talent and speed, and the team will give him his chance. If he's ready to work his way into the lineup with consistency, he can be an unexpected bonus for Vancouver.
But we shouldn't be holding our breath.
It's a new month, but the same two names have continued to circle the Vancouver Canucks. Unrestricted free agent Jack Roslovic and Minnesota's as-yet-unsigned Marco Rossi have the Canucks' attention, and aren't all that subtle about it. Getting either one will be a challenge, but neither option has been shut down yet.
Before the Vancouver Canucks moved Dakota Joshua, the question about either possible acquisition came down to money. Having too many players on the roster is never a problem - the waiver wire exists for a reason - but paying for them is. The increased salary cap allowed teams to retain their own free agents because, ultimately, no manager wants to take risks. Sucks, but there it is.
The Canucks know full well what their weakness is. The centre depth isn't there, even if Elias Pettersson does bounce back and Filip Chytil stays healthy. Frankly, Chytil's health is a bigger concern than Pettersson's skill. But if both of those pull through, then any pressure Vancouver at centre feels is immediately dispelled. But until then? We just don't know.
Roslovic being an unrestricted free agent should make it simpler to sign him, right? Kind of. He only played 59 games in 2023-24, moving between Columbus and the Rangers. It wasn't a great season, even with increased ice time and expectations. He still took a haircut on what was a $4 million per season deal to sign on with Carolina for one year at $2.8 million last season.
He had a minor bounce-back with Manhattan and will undoubtedly want to push his salary back up to its former high. No way the Canucks could fit anything like that into their budget before Joshua's trade. And now they have the money.
Rossi has far more to bring to Vancouver if they can get him. A lot younger, more skilled, and has played in a top-six role without losing the spot, unlike Roslovic. Until the playoffs, that is. Rossi played seven minutes a game less than he did in the regular season. Roslovic kept his ice with Carolina, but that was on the third line anyway.
Rossi is no doubt looking for a lot more money than Roslovic. For good reason, given his skillset. He has already turned down 5 years at $5 million from Minnesota, as well as a shorter deal for less. A four-year deal might do it, but teams aren't big fans of walking players right to free agency. Vancouver only has $3.27 million in cap space, so expect another player moving out if that happens.
The Canucks need to add some skill to the roster, ideally before the season gets going. The preseason isn't exactly an important deadline, but you still want to know who your teammates are, give or take one or two. Rossi's still under the Wild's control, and they will use all the time they have to get his name on a contract. They don't want to lose him, and he won't come cheaply. By all reports, the Canucks offered the 2025 15th overall pick, and that wasn't enough.
Roslovic only has to be talked into coming to Vancouver. No trade needed, no loss of assets, and no negotiations with other teams. Will he play for $3,25 million per season? Maybe. That's not a bad price for a middle-six centre who can fit the role well. If he's pulling 14 minutes a night, and he can add 40 points per, then the Canucks will be happy to pay that.
The tricky thing about that is it may not be what he wants. If he expects to play a second-line role, then he's going to ask for more. And he might not be able to do that. Last season, he didn't get much ice time with Carolina, but they had more depth than Vancouver does now, assuming Chytil is out for any time.
But that doesn't tell what Roslovic is capable of. He has played a large role on both the power play and shorthanded in his career, and that versatility is never a bad thing. If he does find himself unable to break free of the bottom six, he can still get increased ice time on special teams.
Decent size (6'1", 200 lbs) and decent finish (twice hitting 22 goals in a season) combine with good speed to possibly give the Canucks an all-around useful player at a price they can afford. The problem with that is that they have options in the bottom six, and lots of them. Aatu Räty, Teddy Blueger, and Linus Karlsson are all there and waiting.
If the Canucks pick up Roslovic, he'll get his chance in a classic middle-six role. But he won't be adding much to the top of the lineup.
The talk around Vancouver needing a centre usually focuses on one thing: size. Pettersson only scoring 45 points isn't a real fear, but whether Chytil can play behind him is. Chytil has good size and loads of skill, but has yet to break through. He's also only 25 years old, so if he's going to reach his potential, it'll be soon. He's also 6'3" and 210 pounds, and that's always a selling point for coaches.
Pettersson is 6'2", but still a slender 185 pounds. He's improved his strength over the years, but physics still dictates who gets bounced when two players meet. And a mark against Rossi is his 5'9" height. On the other hand, he weighs a solid 195 pounds and has no fear of the front of the net.
Rossi also scored 24 goals and 60 points in 82 games last year. The year before, he made the All-Rookie team with 21 goals and 40 points. With those numbers, there will be a lot that a team can overlook, including being five inches shorter than they might want. Fair to say that he's recovered completely from the COVID attack that saw him fail his physical the first time he tried to enter the NHL.
If the five-year deal didn't convince him to sign with Minnesota, what can the Canucks offer? The cap space they currently have isn't enough, obviously. A player is going to have to go before they can give him an offer he'll agree to. That means Nils Höglander, as he's the only one who doesn't have trade restrictions or a new contract. Maybe a different player moves, but it's hard to see who else fits the bill.
It would be the most convenient deal if Minnesota took a suitable player along with the draft picks or prospects or whatever completes the trade. But they've already turned down that first-round pick, and who knows where Vancouver will finish this season. Will the pick work for the much-hyped 2026 draft, compared to the weaker 2025 one? And do the Canucks want to risk that cost?
If it's an option, Vancouver should bring in Rossi. He's young, talented, and apparently durable, having played every game in the past two seasons. He is a very good skater, has a high hockey IQ, can score, can pass, and works the front of the net. He's a centre as well, though left-handed instead of right.
Vancouver has plenty of talent at the bottom of the lineup. There are players pushing for space coming up from Abbotsford, and the depth there can pay off. But they aren't getting anywhere near the top line, and they won't get many chances at the top six. If they want to meaningfully improve, it will need to be from someone coming in at the top of the lineup, pushing players down.
Roslovic wouldn't be a bad addition, but getting him keeps the Canucks hopeful that someone can rise to the occasion. If they manage to sign him, it may even work. But it's not exactly the big swing the team and the fans want.
The Boys Are Back in Town, and this time they can afford housing in Vancouver. The city was in a tizzy about how no free agents wanted to play in Vancouver, so the team said they ONLY wanted players who wanted to play in Vancouver. What happened next may not surprise you.
It started early, with Derek Forbort getting his one-year deal at the beginning of the month. Forbort's typically described as "an honest player", which is the veteran defenceman's equivalent of the forward who's called a "wily veteran". And it's a good signing, a solid anchor for a penalty kill that was one of the Canucks' few bright spots last season.
But the fun stuff happened up front. The arrival of Evander Kane is certainly a choice, with management hoping his time in Edmonton is a more accurate display of his maturity than, well, the rest of his career. Sure, he's part of the NHL investigation on misusing the Injured Reserve list, but at least he worked WITH the team instead of against it. That's teamwork, right?
The big question was how he was expected to replace Brock Boeser? The long-serving veteran winger who has been such a reliable scorer was obviously on his way out, after all. A team that had difficulty scoring was hoping a player who missed the entire regular season would catch fire? Yeow. Seems like a desperate move to us. Except.
Amazingly, Boeser and general manager Patrik Allvin put aside their differences and found something of a middle ground. The team got a cut on the average value, and Boeser got to stay as long as he wanted. A seven-year deal is a lot longer than Vancouver wanted, but he's also taking $750,000 a year less for each of those seven years. That's a lot of money to give up so you don't have to pack.
Now, when I say Boeser's a reliable scorer, I mean for those games he's in. He scores 30 goals for every 82 games played like clockwork. It's just a matter of how many games he'll play in any given season. His injury history is well known to Canucks fans, but the good news is that he's been reasonably healthy lately. In the past four seasons, he's played 71, 74, 81, and 75 games.
Another complaint is his lack of speed, but frankly, that's never been his game. He's in trouble if he loses the puck in deep, but that doesn't happen often. Brock has an underrated game on the boards and as a defensive player. He's not exactly a first-pair penalty killer, but he's reliable - which is more than enough for a 25-30 goal scorer.
Whenever Conor Garland's career ends, he has a job in Abbotsford for life. A toque and a suspenders and the man is set. But that won't be for another six years after Garland's new 6 x $6 million contract. One of Vancouver's few play drivers and a general pain in the ass to play against, Garland has a lot going for him. He should be welcomed back, because win or lose, he's a frikkin' blast to watch.
He's not the usual type of player who wears a letter, but he should be. He's gone from playing in a bubble of his own to figuring out how to use and support his linemates. Pairing him with Dakota Joshua was a revelation for both players, but that doesn't show up in Garland's scoring. He was the lynchpin of one of the best middle-six lines in hockey, and the team blossomed because of it.
No quit, no stop, and a welcome sight.
Okay, okay. Deep breath, and repeat after me:
- "I must not fear.
- Fear is the mind-killer.
- Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
- I will face my fear.
- I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
- And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
- Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
So, we good?
In what had to be the most awkward negotiation in Canucks history, neither Thatcher Demko nor Canucks management have any idea what's coming. Demko, of course, has an injury that's so rare no other hockey player has had it. He's recovered, but has had to change how he plays net to reduce the stress on his popliteus muscle.
Demko is a smart player who thinks through his position. He knows how to work around his injury, but he was limited to just 23 games last season. An injury late in his second major comeback of the season kept him from finishing the year out. It was a year of chaos, reflecting the team perfectly. It wasn't a year to base a three-year, $8.5 million contract extension off of.
Fortunately for him, they didn't. They added the year before, where he finished second for the Vezina Trophy and played 51 mostly excellent games. That isn't going to be expected of him this time around, because he has the very capable Kevin Lankinen backing him up. Which is good, because no one knows how long Demko's repaired knee will last.
Excuse me. I have a litany to go repeat.
Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, Aatu Räty, and the apparently immortal Guilliaume Brisebois have all signed back on for one or two seasons. I expect all of them to get a few games in Vancouver. Sasson and Räty could well start with the big club, depending on what other trades happen between now and October. Sasson has the tougher route, if only because he's still waiver-exempt.
Nils Åman is almost certainly anchoring the fourth line, with a few options to flank him. Drew O'Connor and Sasson or Räty can all work there, but those details are for September's pondering.
All in all, a busy day. Just not how we expected.
It's probably not going to be an enjoyable day for Canucks fans (to be fair, is it ever?), but don't worry. We're here, and you can join us in laughing at all the other teams also screwing up their rosters.
Alright, a little bit of housekeeping before we get started. If you haven't already seen it, we've welcomed a new writer to our staff. Thursday's been a part of the readership of NM for a long time, and we're thrilled to have her come aboard and provide a fresh perspective to the coverage. Also, there's no possible way that she's as angry and bitter as the rest of us, so that's really nice for all of you. Good to have you on the team, Thursday. Sorry we swear so much. It's Francesco's fault.
Anyway, she broke down the Canucks draft experience, so if you haven't read it, please do. Overall, I think that was a decent job by JR & PA. I mean, we were expecting that 1st rounder to get traded away, so to get what looks like a solid prospect at 15 is good, as well as a goaltender that Ian Clark raves about with their second pick. If Clark likes him, there's something there, and that bodes well for the future.
So far, the Canucks have been re-upping some of the Abbotsford crew, including a number of key pieces from their Championship run. The most notable is a one year, one way deal for Max Sasson, with a $775k AAV. This is a chance for Sasson, who performed well during his call ups and was a rock throughout the playoffs for Abbotsford, to earn a multi year deal, and I'm here for it. Also re-signed were Aatu Raty, Arshdeep Bains, and Guillaume Brisebois.
The full NMC on Elias Pettersson's contract has kicked in, and we should hear the announcement of a new deal for Thatcher Demko as early as today, as well as the official announcement of Conor Garland's deal, but the stark reality of the Canucks losing the production of Brock Boeser and Pius Suter is a little sobering to say the least. For a team that struggled to score this past season, it's gonna take a hell of a day from Patrik Allvin to give Canucks fans hope heading forward.
There's also word that Arturs Silovs is being shopped around, and I get this. It's a valuable asset that could help bring in an improvement that we need, and while it would be awesome if there was room for him, the Canucks are likely to go with Demko and Kevin Lankinen, because it's trade Silovs, or trade one of those two, and I don't think they'd be eager to part with either.
