The New York Rangers signed two of their top prospects, Vitali Kravtsov and Igor Shesterkin, to entry-level deals Friday morning.
The New York Rangers announced Friday morning the signings of Vitali Kravtsov and Igor Shesterkin to entry-level contracts.
OFFICIAL: #NYR have agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with forward Vitali Kravtsov and with goaltender Igor Shesterkin. pic.twitter.com/HSQvRt6gbW
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 3, 2019
Both signings come a day after the Blueshirts inked newly acquired defenseman Adam Fox to an entry-level deal, giving the team some new young faces to look forward to come training camp.
Shesterkin has been talked about for the last few seasons as the heir to Henrik Lundqvist thanks to some impressive numbers playing for SKA in the KHL. The 23-year-old posted a .953 save percentage with a goals-against-average of 1.11 in 28 games during the 2018-19 KHL season. He will battle Alexandar Georgiev for the backup spot in 2019-20.
The Rangers surprised everyone at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft when they selected Kravtsov, but he’s been a pleasant surprise playing for Traktor also in the KHL. The 19-year-old forward scored 21 points in 50 games as a teenager playing amongst men. His successful season gives Ranger faithful a glimpse of what is to come.
Kravtsov ranks as the 35th best prospect in the NHL while Shesterkin sits at 25 and Fox is at 48 according to NHL Network’s top 100 prospects list entering 2018-19.
All three players will have a legitimate chance, along with either Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, to crack the Rangers roster next season. Along with Filip Chytil and many other prospects, the Rangers look to finally have a respected prospect pool across the league, and the hope is for these players to be able to take the next step.
Next season has the potential to be a fun one for fans with these new young players, but that is still a ways away.
