Vancouver Canucks make surprise signing with player that spent last two years in Russia
The Vancouver Canucks are bringing Vitali Kravtsov back to North America in an unexpected move.
As rumours continue to swirl around the team and Jack Roslovic, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin went off the board on Tuesday afternoon. Kravtsov will make his NHL return with the Canucks this upcoming season after signing a one-year contract with the club. He spent the last two seasons playing in Russia’s KHL.
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal is reporting that Kravtsov will make $775,000 at the NHL level and $450,000 in the AHL.
Vitali Kravtsov gets a 1 year deal from the Canucks.
775,000 in NHL
450,000 in Abbotsford
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) August 5, 2025
“Vitali had a strong season in the KHL and was an impact player for his team,” Allvin said in a media release. “In his two seasons in Russia, he has worked hard on his game, and we look forward to seeing where Vitali is at when he comes to training camp in Penticton.”
The 25-year-old Russian forward was drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 2018, but failed to live up to expectations in the Big Apple. After appearing in just 48 NHL games with the Rangers, he was traded to the Canucks in February of 2023Ā for Will Lockwood and a seventh-round pick.
Kravtsov would then play in 16 games with Vancouver in 2022-23, scoring a goal and an assist, before bolting to the KHL. He spent the last two seasons with Chelyabinsk Traktor, where he experienced a bit of a career revival.
This past season, the 6-foot-3 right winger lit up the top Russian league with 27 goals and 58 points in 66 games. That was good enough to be tied for sixth in the KHL for points and ninth in goals scored.
He was a restricted free agent this summer, meaning that the Canucks still held his negotiating rights. The impressive KHL season must have convinced Vancouver to give Kravtsov another shot.
The Canucks have been looking to add inexpensive scoring forwards to the lineup, and although it’s not clear where Kravtsov will start the season, the Russian could wind up being a pretty good low-risk, high-reward bet.
Before inking Kravtsov, Vancouver was working with about $3.2 million in cap space.