Vitali Kravtsov

Kravtsov failed to make the Rangers' roster out of training camp a season ago, refused to report to their AHL affiliate in Hartford, requested a trade, and ultimately played the year in the KHL. New York never received a trade offer it deemed suitable, so the team hung on to Kravtsov and the two sides, recognizing they need each other for the moment, hashed out their differences. Kravtsov is an unquestioned top-six talent at a cap hit of $875K, a massive bargain for a team dealing with salary cap issues. Keep an eye on him entering the upcoming season, as Kravtsov could find himself on one of the Rangers' top-two lines, giving him real fantasy value in deeper formats.

Kravtsov has been up and down since being drafted No. 9 overall in 2018. He made his NHL debut late last season and went on to dress in New York's final 20 games. He managed just two goals and four points in that brief cameo, although he played almost exclusively on the fourth line and saw zero time with the man advantage. Kravtsov is an offensive player. He needs to fill a top-six, or at a minimum, top-nine role in order to be effective. The Rangers seem to realize this, and plan on giving Kravstov every opportunity to make an impact this coming year. He still isn't a fantasy option in redraft leagues, however.

Kravtsov will remain on loan to Traktor Chelyabinsk in his native Russia for the remainder of the KHL season, but he'll likely make his way stateside in March or April. The ninth overall pick from the 2018 draft failed to make the Rangers out of camp last year and had a down year split between the AHL and KHL. Kravtsov has rebounded nicely in the KHL this year, and he could lock down a third-line role in New York upon his arrival if he can adjust to the North American ice surface quickly. Barring another snag in his development, Kravtsov should be ticketed for a middle-six role on Broadway before long.

The Rangers' selection of Kravtsov with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft raised some eyebrows at the time, but it now looks like a steal if anything after the 19-year-old Russian put up 21 points in 50 games for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL in 2018-19. That production is reminiscent of some recent success stories such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, but it's best to pump the brakes on immediate expectations for Kravtsov considering he will likely need some time to adjust to the North American game. Still, there's a good chance Kravtsov will be able to hold down a middle-six role on Broadway from the get-go, and keeper league owners shouldn't hesitate to act if the winger makes the roster out of camp.

Kravtsov has committed to playing a third season season in the KHL after breaking out during the playoffs last season with 11 points in 16 games. While that rules him out for the vast majority of the NHL campaign, he didn't dismiss potentially joining the Rangers late in the season. While the vast majority of his value lies in the dynasty format, the 6-foot-3 winger could also have a late-season impact in deep fantasy leagues.