The Rangers announced on Saturday that they have traded forward Vitali Kravtsov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Will Lockwood and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Kravtsov, 23, was selected by New York with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from Russia. He made his NHL debut on April 3, 2021 against the Buffalo Sabres, and would go on to record four points (two goals, two assists) over 20 games in the 2020-2021 season.
He then was loaned to Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL and played 19 games for them during the 2021-2022 season. Kravtsov rejoined the Rangers this season and has played in 28 games, recording just six points (three goals, three assists).
Kravtsov requested a trade on Feb. 13 after being benched following the the team’s acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko.
Lockwood, 24, was selected by the Canucks with the No. 64 overall pick in the third-round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He made his debut during the 2020-2021 season and played in two games. Lockwood played 13 games for Vancouver last year while splitting time in the AHL, and has played in 13 games this season at the NHL level.
Over 28 career games with the Canucks, Lockwood has recorded one assist, 92 hits and 23 blocked shots. He’s also recorded 25 goals and 29 assists (54 points) in 96 AHL games with a plus-17 rating.
