Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov leaves Tuesday’s game with upper-body injury

New York Rangers forward Vitali Kravtsov has left Tuesday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury and will not return, the club announced.

Kravtsov, 22, headed to the Rangers’ dressing room in the first period after an awkward collision along the boards with Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

Here’s the video of the play, posted by The Athletic‘s Shayna Goldman:

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Kravtsov to the locker room after this:

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12:01 AM · Oct 12, 2022

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Kravtsov ultimately played just 1:28 in Tuesday’s game, the first of the 2022–23 regular season for the Rangers. Off Mika Zibanejad’s second goal of the night, the Rangers currently lead 2–1 in the third period.

The Rangers originally selected Kravtsov in the first round (No. 9 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with the club in 2020–21, scoring two goals and four points in 20 games, before spending the 2021–22 season in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Kravtsov returned to the Rangers this past June on a one-year, $875,000 contract. The 6’3″ winger scored six goals and 13 points in 19 games with Chelyabinsk Traktor last season, adding seven goals and 10 points in 15 playoff contests.

Zibanejad has both Rangers goals this evening. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored his team’s only goal on a power play midway through the second period.