The Rangers rebuild took another step forward with the news that a pair of Russian rookies will be signing entry-level contracts and coming to the US. In addition, a former New York coach landed back in the Metro, signing to helm the Flyers. The latter adds some more juice to the division, but the former is way more important. Last, the Blueshirts took steps to improve their Hartford farm club, firing their coach and assistant coach.
Igor Shestyorkin, the goalie long considered the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist and selected in the fourth round in the 2014 draft, and
Vitali Kravtsov, the ninth overall pick in last June’s draft, each signed their ELC. Shestyorkin, due to his age, as he is 23, signed a two-year deal that has an out clause if he is sent to the AHL Kravtsov signed the standard three-year entry-level contract.
As Carp noted:
The deals cannot be officially signed, registered with the league or announced until after their KHL contracts expire May 1. But both players — who played in the Russian league this season — are expected to arrive in North America in late May and would then be in Rangers’ prospects camp after the June 21-22 draft, as well as NHL training camp in September.
Shestyorkin went 24-3-1 with 10 shutouts, a 1.11 goals-against average (second-best in KHL history) and a .953 save percentage (tied for the second best in KHL history) during the regular season for SKA in the top Russian league. With Alexandar Georgiev, who played well as a rookie this season, and Henrik Lundqvist in New York, the Rangers will have to figure out how three goalies fit into two spots.
The 37-year-old Lundqvist struggled again in the second half of the season, With two years left, at an $8.5 million annual cap hit, on his contract, with a no-move clause, determining what to do with Lundqvist may prove to be challenging. While Shestyorkin is the same age as Lundqvist when he came over and grabbed a hold of the #1 netminder job, Lundqvist was beating out the likes of Kevin Weekes, a stark difference from supplanting Lundqvist. New York is not just handing the job to the rookie, though a stellar camp could result in GM jeff Gorton and whoever is the team president going to Hank and seeing if he will change his mind.
One other option is to have Georgiev start the season or end up in the minors. New York could also deal Georgiev, though I think that's the less likely option to occur. That option would allow New York to keep Shestyorkin in the NHL, if he proves ready. Another possibility is to send Shestyorkin down to the minors. Larry Brooks noted that while Shestyorkin has a contract clause that would allow him to return to Russia if the Rangers were to assign him to the AHL Wolf Pack, management apparently is confident, however, that would not be the 2014 fourth-rounder’s intention if he needs time in the AHL to adapt to the North American game.
Kravtsov will need time to adapt to the NHL and the smaller ice surfaces. In addition, he needs to physically mature. But like Filip Chytil this season, he could spend the year in the NHL, if he proves capable in camp. Kravtsov possesses top-end skill. If he has the kind of year that Andrei Svechnikov had - periods of dominance paired with periods where he was invisible - I would be ecstatic.
Leave the KZB line alone. Maybe put Kravtsov on the second line with Chytil, as each could play center, since Kravtsov saw some time there at the WJC, though he is better suited to wing. You then look at those two with Brett Howden and Lias Andersson and the average age up front is reduced even further, making coach David Quinn's job of teaching even more important both in the short- and long-term.
Kravtsov had eight goals and 13 assists in 50 games for Traktor during the KHL season, and two goals and four assists in seven games at the World Juniors, where he played with both an injury and the flu. He also had six goals and 16 points in 16 games in international Under-20 competition. Adding him to the lineup makes New York a more skilled team. If the Blueshirts can add a sniper in free agency after drafting either Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, then all of a sudden the talent level has risen exponentially.
Alain Vigneault signed a five-year, $25 million deal to coach the Flyers. Vigneault had one year left, at $4.25 million, on his contract with the New York Rangers after being fired April 7, 2018. New York did not get any compensation for Philly signing Vigneault. He coached the Rangers for five seasons with a record of 226-147-37, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Most of his work was in Vancouver, where he spent seven seasons, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011 and won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s best coach in 2007.
Two differing viewpoints below, both of which are accurate. The praise and the criticism for AV is on target. Your preference as to which one holds more water, including what flyers' GM Chuck Fletcher said regarding the hiring. He clearly is a good coach and developed players in the past, but Vigneault is better with a veteran squad, which is somewhat the case in Philly, but seeing the pipeline in the system, getting the most of that young talent may end up being his main job.
“Certainly that track record of winning games is critical but I also think he has a tremendous track record of developing players, holding his players accountable, instilling proper habits in his players,” Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said. “I think he’s one of the better bench coaches in the National Hockey League, the ability to adapt and read the game and make changes as he sees fit is top notch. He’s obviously a hard worker. In my time with him over the last few days I found out he’s also a really good person and someone I communicated with well. Personally, I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of working with him.”
“I just look at his track record,” Fletcher said. “You even go to Vancouver when he came in there and all the younger players they had and he turned that franchise around quickly and they had a slew of young players, if I’m not mistaken guys like (Alex) Edler and (Ryan) Kesler, (Jannik) Hansen, (Alexandre) Burrows, all those were young players and some of them he had coached in Manitoba. He had a tremendous track record in Manitoba. They had a tremendous track record there and that Vancouver group really developed and jelled into a top team for many years. I think his track record speaks for himself.”
The
Rangers fired Hartford coach Keith McCambridge and assistant Joe Mormina on Monday. The Wolfpack finished last in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with a 29-36-7-4 record and struggled the prior season as well. New, fresh blood is needed and GM Chris Drury must bring in a teaching coach who can get the most of the young talent in the system now and who will be on the squad following the draft.
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