As he prepares to get his season going for the fourth time, Vitali Kravtsov doesn’t even want to think about the myriad of injuries that have limited him to a concerning 28:52 of ice time over a mere four games.
And why would he? Kravtsov has experienced one of the worst sequences of bad luck through the Rangers’ first 13 games of the season. The other layer to it, however, is the fact that there isn’t a player on the Rangers roster who needs a bit of good fortune more than Kravtsov. There is a palpable desire to prove himself, especially given his rocky relationship with the organization over the last couple seasons, but Kravtsov hasn’t been able to stay on the ice long enough to do so.
Kravtsov skated on the right wing of the third line alongside Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil during practice Monday, indicating the 22-year-old winger should be ready to go against the Islanders on Tuesday after missing the last four games with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
Vitali Kravtsov has suffered through brutal injury luck during his Rangers tenure. Getty Images“Play well, help the team and help myself,” he said when asked of his goal for his return to action. “Play hard, play fast. Just need to find that confidence and I think [during] practices I found a little bit. Feeling much better right now than a week or a month ago.”
That last part of his first sentence should be Kravtsov’s focus. All Kravtsov can do at this point is try to put himself in the best position to succeed at the NHL level. But it includes playing smart — not leaving himself vulnerable to injury — and ensuring he’s noticeable in a lineup that desperately needs an offensive spark.
“I want the puck too much,” he said. “I need to be more confident in the battles with the puck, without the puck, on the forecheck/backcheck. I’m going to build that confidence, everything will be much better.”
Additionally, defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who missed Sunday’s matchup with the Red Wings with an upper-body injury he sustained on a hit from Bruins winger David Pastrnak earlier this month, is doubtful to play Tuesday night. He resumed skating, but will likely be sidelined for a second straight game.
Julien Gauthier suffered an upper-body injury against Detroit on Sunday and did not participate in practice. The Rangers labeled the 25-year-old winger as day-to-day.
Defenseman Adam Fox sat out of practice for maintenance purposes, the Rangers said.
