The curious case of Vitali Kravtsov continues. 

Kravtsov was reinserted into the Rangers lineup Thursday night against the Maple Leafs after serving as a healthy scratch in the previous three games. Skating on the fourth line alongside Julien Gauthier and Jonny Brodzinski, the Russian winger appeared in just his 11th game of the season due to a series of injuries and scratches to start the campaign. 

As a result of Kravtsov’s return, Sammy Blais was a healthy scratch for the first time since he came to New York in the July 2021 trade that sent Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis. 

“Yeah no you want him playing, definitely, there’s no doubt,” head coach Gerard Gallant said of Kravtsov, who recorded one shot on goal and two hits in the Rangers’ 3-1 win over Toronto. “He’s worked hard, he’s done the right things. Give him an opportunity.” 

Despite the fact the Rangers had won their previous four games, Gallant opted to shake up the lineup once again. The Rangers were finally starting to get some continuity that coincided with some success. Gallant has said he knows he changes the lines too much, adding that he wants to keep them the same, but he continues to switch things around on a game-to-game basis. 

The Rangers no doubt need to figure out Kravtsov’s value sooner rather than later. The only way to do that is to play him, but consistency is also important for a team to build chemistry. 

When asked if he wants to get a longer look at Kravtsov, Gallant was noncommittal. 

“Play well, that’s all,” said Gallant, who also assured that the lineup decisions were not made in wake of injuries. “We’ll see where it goes.” 

Additionally, defenseman Ben Harpur made his season debut after signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Rangers in October. The 27-year-old veteran of 150-plus NHL games, who collected three goals and two assists in 17 contests with AHL Hartford to start this season, skated alongside Braden Schneider. 

“He looks like [Jarred] Tinordi a lot,” Gallant said of Harpur. “I don’t know much about him. He’s played in the league, obviously. He’s a big guy. He’s looked really good in practice, he moves the puck, he’s skating. He deserves an opportunity. He played well down in Hartford, the coaches talked about him. He’ll get his chance tonight.” 

As a result of Harpur’s insertion into the lineup, Libor Hajek was scratched for the first time in the last six games. Harpur blocked two shots and landed three hits in 12:26 of ice time in the win. 

Thursday night was Garden of Dreams Night at Madison Square Garden, where the Rangers celebrated by highlighting the organization’s collaboration with their 30 non-profit partners. 

The Rangers are scheduled to practice Friday in Tarrytown before beginning their next three-game road trip, which begins Saturday night in Philadelphia. From there, the Rangers will travel to Chicago and Pittsburgh.