As the 2025-26 NHL season comes around, the Vancouver Canucks might be running away with a bargain after signing a key teammate for Elias Pettersson. According to reports, the organization in Vancouver ruined several organizations’ plans with their recent move.
The Canucks know it will take more than one signing for them to be back in the mix for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Still, it won’t hurt Pettersson and company to welcome a new face to the locker room. Or shall we say a familiar face.
Vancouver signed Vitali Kravtsov to a one-year, $775K deal ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. Kravtsov is back in town for the first time since 2023. The forward had been traded from the New York Rangers to Vancity on Feb. 2023.
Back in Vancity
After appearing in 16 games alongside Pettersson and the Canucks, he left for the KHL. Now, he’s back in the league, and reports suggest several teams were interested in signing him.
“There was a fair bit of interest in Kravtsov expressed by rival teams around the NHL before the Canucks signed him,” The Athletic’s Thomas Drance stated. “If he were to hit waivers ahead of the season, he’d be at high risk of being claimed.”
Second time’s the charm
It’s often said there’s only one chance to make a first impression, yet the Canucks think otherwise. Kravtsov’s first stint in Vancouver was far from impressive. But the organization in British Columbia believes the 25-year-old deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Kravtsov recorded only two points (one goal and one assist) during his first 16 games with the Canucks. However, Vancouver thinks it was too small of a sample size for them to completely cross him off the list. Coming off a 58-point campaign with the Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, the Canucks are rolling their dice on the winger.
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At the end of the day, it’s a low-risk, high-reward wager. If it doesn’t pan out, then Vancouver will have spent less than $1 million, and won’t have to wonder what could’ve been. It’s a small price to pay and now is as great a time as any for the Nucks to take risks.