WJC 2019 Prospect Report - Day 3

Here is how Rangers prospects performed in Day Three of the 2019 World Junior Championship on Wednesday:

Russian forward Vitali Kravtsov recorded one shot on goal in 17:42 of ice time in Russia’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

American defenseman K’Andre Miller recorded an assist and five shots on goal and put up a plus-3 rating in 16:25 of ice time in Team USA’s 8-2 win over Kazakhstan.

WJC 2019 Prospect Report - Day 2

Here is how Rangers prospects performed in Day Two of the 2019 World Junior Championship on Wednesday:

Vitali Kravtsov finished his IIHF World Junior Championship debut with two points (one goal, one assist), including the GWG, drew two penalties, recorded 3 SOG, won 6 of 10 faceoffs (60.0%), and led all Russia forwards with 18:28 of ice time.

Nico Gross had a minus-1 rating, and had two penalty minutes in 18:21 of ice time for the Swiss team.

Nils Lundkvist tallied a primary assist and had one shot on goal, and a plus-1 rating in 17:22 of ice time for Sweden.

Rangers Select Vitali Kravtsov at Number 9

With the 9th overall selection, the New York Rangers selected winger Russian winger Vitali Kravtsov.

From the Rangers release:

Kravtsov, 18, received the Alexei Cherepanov Award as the Kontinental Hockey League's Rookie of the Year in 2017-18.

In 16 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk during the 2018 Gagarin Cup Playoffs, Kravtsov registered six goals and five assists for 11 points. Kravtsov's 11 points were the most a KHL junior player (younger than 20 years old) has registered in one playoff year in the league's history, eclipsing the previous record of nine held by Evgeny Kuznetsov and Valeri Nichushkin.

In addition, Kravtsov's six goals in the 2018 Gagarin Cup Playoffs were tied for the second-most a KHL junior player has recorded in one playoff year in the league's history.

The 6-3, 184-pounder was selected as the KHL's Rookie of the Month in both March and April of 2018, and he was also named the KHL's Best Rookie in each of the first three rounds of the 2018 Gagarin Cup Playoffs.
Kravtsov led all KHL players younger than 19 years old in assists and points, and he was also tied for first among KHL players younger than 19 years old in goals during the playoffs this past year. In addition, Kravtsov tied for seventh among all players in the KHL in goals in the 2018 Gagarin Cup Playoffs, and he was also tied for second among all players in the league in game-winning goals (three) in the playoffs.

He registered at least one point in seven of his first nine playoff games in 2018, posting four multi-point games over the span, and he registered the game-winning goal in overtime in his first playoff game of the year on Mar. 4 against Neftekhimik.

David Quinn said on NBCSN that Kravtsov, has "a lot of hockey sense and skill, people rave about his character. He is someone we have talked an awful lot about over the last month and we are ecstatic to get him."