The Rangers have loaned Vitali Kravtsov to Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, the team announced Wednesday.

"After discussions with Vitali and his representation, we decided a loan to Traktor was in the best interests of both him and the organization," Rangers president and GM Chris Drury said in a statement. "We think very highly of Vitali and the Rangers development staff will continue to work with him to reach our mutual goal of him some day being a New York Ranger."

Said Kravtsov:

"I want to thank the Rangers for working with me, and appreciate the open and honest conversations we have had during this process," said Kravtsov. "While this has been a challenging time for me personally, I believe having the opportunity to return to Traktor and work on my game is the best thing for me right now. My main focus is getting better every day to continue towards my goal of playing hockey for the New York Rangers."

On Oct. 12, the Rangers gave Kravtsov permission to seek a trade after he refused an AHL assignment following New York's decision to leave him off the opening night roster.

Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant told reporters at the time that Kravtsov's demotion to the AHL was the result of other players beating him out -- not because of anything Kravtsov did wrong.

After the Rangers gave Kravtsov permission to seek a trade, he returned to his home country of Russia.

Per The Athletic, Kravtsov was given a chance to impress while in the Toronto bubble, but during the Rangers' abbreviated playoff run, president and GM Chris Drury ripped hip in practice for his lack of work ethic, and Kravtsov also missed a team bus to the rink.

Kravtsov, 21, was the ninth overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft.

He played in 20 games for the Rangers during the 2020-21 season, notching two goals and two assists.

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