Yegor Rykov, New York Rangers
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

When the New York Rangers traded Michael Grabner on Thursday night, they received a 2018 second round pick and D Yegor Rykov. Who is this kid?

When the dust settled from the announcement of the trade between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils, one question stood out amongst them all: Who the heck is Yegor Rykov?

The 20-year-old Rykov was selected in the fifth round (132nd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He is currently playing for the St. Petersburg SKA, of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). His teammates may be familiar to many hockey fans, including Ilya Kovalchuk, former Atlanta Thrasher and New Jersey Devil and currently the number one goaltending prospect for the Rangers Igor Shestyorkin.

Rykov’s stats and Bio:

Devils beat writer Andrew Gross listed Rykov as 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and “a poised puck mover but must be more agile.” The kicker here is not “leaving the KHL soon.” Rykov has one more year remaining on his contract, which expires Apr. 30, 2019, with SKA St. Petersburgh.

In 51 games played in the KHL, he has registered two goals and 12 assists for 14 points with a plus-13 rating. He participated in the 2017 World Junior Championships as he played for Russia. He was an assistant captain who recorded one goal with six assists for seven points as Russia took the Bronze medal.

It appears that the Devils were high on Rykov, but were concerned with his KHL contract status. Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analyst tweeted that Rykov keeps a tight gap and locks down the slot. He feels Rykov is a very smart player and NHL-ready.

Perhaps this could play to the Rangers’ advantage. With Shestyorkin the rumored heir to Henrik Lundqvist, maybe he can put a thought in Rykov’s ear to come across to North since they are now the property of the New York Rangers.

Rykov looks to get involved offensively for SKA as well. Is it a win-win? No one is sure just yet but, so far, it looks to be a great move.

A graduate of St. John's University class of '91. I have been a fan of the New York Rangers since the days of Peter Puck. Founder of Ranger Proud, the Facebook page that covers all news, notes, pre /post-game stats, and player quotes. I can be reached at [email protected]