Vancouver Canucks acquire Vitali Kravtsov from New York Rangers

The Vancouver Canucks have acquired forward Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward prospect Will Lockwood and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Kravtsov, 23, is under contract at an $875,000 NHL cap hit through the end of the 2022–23 season, at which point he’ll become a restricted free agent. The Canucks announced the deal on Saturday afternoon.

The Rangers originally selected Kravtsov in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. The 6’3″, 194-pound winger recorded three goals and six points in 28 games with the Rangers this season. 

GM Patrik Allvin announced today that the Vancouver Canucks have acquired F Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers in exchange for F William Lockwood and a 7th round pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft. pic.twitter.com/emb19y87q9

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 25, 2023

Kravtsov made his NHL debut with the Rangers during the 2020–21 season, collecting two goals and four points in 20 games. He headed to Russia to play with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk for the 2021–22 campaign before returning to the Rangers last summer.

With Kravtsov now off the roster and Jake Leschyshyn currently on waivers, the Rangers look to be on the verge of clearing the necessary salary cap space to potentially acquire forward Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane, whose name has been extensively linked to the Rangers leading up to the Mar. 3 trade deadline, will sit as a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

Lockwood, 24, has split the 2022–23 season between Vancouver and its AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Through 28 career NHL games, Lockwood — a 5’11”, 185-pound winger — has recorded one assist.

The Canucks originally selected Lockwood in the third round (No. 64 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He has 12 goals and 18 points in 26 AHL games with Abbotsford this season.

Finally, this is only the fourth trade involving a pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, following Montreal’s acquisition of Sean Monahan, Arizona’s deal for Patrik Nemeth, and Chicago’s trade for Nikita Zaitsev. Chicago now possesses nine 2026 draft selections, including Ottawa’s fourth-round pick and Vancouver’s seventh-rounder.