Canucks Make Trade Candidate Vitali Kravtsov Available For Free
.jpg "Vancouver Canucks forward Vitali Kravtsov looks on before 2023 game.")
General manager Patrik Allvin announced the move Thursday, trimming the roster to 16 forwards as the team inches closer to opening night.
Vitali Kravtsov has hit waivers. Clearly didn’t do enough in #Canucks camp and in the preseason. The Abby guys also outperformed him. https://t.co/7ECfrbYFMi
— Grady Sas (@GradySas) October 2, 2025
Kravtsov, 25, was brought back to North America this summer after two standout seasons in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk, where he tallied 27 goals and 58 points in 66 games last year.
Vancouver signed him to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 at the NHL level, but after a quiet preseason in which he went scoreless and was outplayed by younger forwards like Arshdeep Bains, Max Sasson, and Linus Karlsson, Kravtsov quickly found himself on the outside looking in.
Canucks Put Vitali Kravtsov on Waivers
This isn’t the first time Kravtsov has struggled to carve out a role in the NHL. Originally drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in 2018, he was traded to the Canucks in 2023 but managed just four goals and eight points in 44 NHL games before returning to Russia.
Despite showing signs of growth overseas, his skill set hasn’t translated during training camp. If he clears waivers, Kravtsov will report to Abbotsford, where he’ll get top-six minutes and another chance to prove he belongs.
.@DhaliwalSports: Hearing #Canucks have Vitaly Kravtsov’s name out there, trying to see if there are any interested teams.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/hirSieofhn
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) October 2, 2025
A Free Gamble for Rival Teams
Placing Kravtsov on waivers effectively makes him available for free to any team that believes they can unlock his potential. His size, draft pedigree, and recent KHL production could appeal to clubs with thinner forward depth, especially those willing to take on a low-cost reclamation project.
Whether Kravtsov gets claimed or clears, his future now rests on whether another NHL team still sees untapped upside in the former top-10 pick, or whether his North American comeback ends before it ever truly begins.
Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
