Rangers loan Kravtsov to KHL after October trade request

The New York Rangers loaned Vitali Kravtsov to the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk, the club announced.

New York can recall Kravtsov when the ongoing KHL season ends, and he's amenable to rejoining the NHL team, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"After discussions with Vitali and his representation, we decided a loan to Traktor was in the best interests of both him and the organization," Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement Wednesday. "We think very highly of Vitali and the Rangers development staff will continue to work with him to reach our mutual goal of him some day being a New York Ranger."

Kravtsov also focused on the positive.

"I want to thank the Rangers for working with me, and appreciate the open and honest conversations we have had during this process," he said in his own statement. "While this has been a challenging time for me personally, I believe having the opportunity to return to Traktor and work on my game is the best thing for me right now. My main focus is getting better every day to continue towards my goal of playing hockey for the New York Rangers."

The Rangers reportedly gave Kravtsov permission to seek a trade on Oct. 12 after the club left him off its roster to begin the season. The forward, who'll turn 22 next month, was apparently unhappy that he didn't make the team.

Kravtsov collected two goals and two assists over 20 games as a rookie with New York in the last campaign. He spent parts of five seasons with Traktor before that and played 39 AHL games in 2019-20.

The Rangers drafted the Russian-born forward ninth overall in 2018.

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