The Vancouver Canucks announced on Tuesday morning that the organization has placed Vitali Kravtsov on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.

Kravtsov, 25, signed a one-year, $775,000 two-way contract with the Canucks in early August this past offseason. He wanted to make a return to the NHL after scoring 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 66 regular season games with the Chelyabinsk Traktor of the KHL. The Vladivostok, Russia native finished sixth in league scoring, and his efforts helped his team finish first in the Eastern Conference with a 38-17-6 record.

After that successful season, Kravtsov wanted to make his return to the NHL. The Canucks still held his rights after acquiring him from the New York Rangers in February of 2023, in a trade that sent William Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round pick the other way.

The Rangers drafted Kravtsov ninth overall in the 2018 NHL draft – two picks after the Canucks selected Quinn Hughes. He played one-and-a-half seasons in New York, scoring five goals and five assists for 10 points in 48 regular season games. Disgruntled by his limited playing time, Kravtsov requested a fresh start and was later sent to the Canucks.

In Vancouver, Kravtsov suited up in 16 games, scoring one goal and one assist for two points with a minus-three rating in the 2022-23 season before returning to the KHL.

After struggling in the preseason, Kravtsov did not make the Vancouver opening night roster. He then reported to AHL Abbotsford, where he recorded one goal and three assists for four points in seven games, with a minus-7 rating.

Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal shared on X shortly after Kravtsov wanted to go home to Russia. Dhaliwal quickly reported that it sounds like Kravtsov will be returning to his KHL team, Traktor, on a three-year contract.

With all the injuries in Vancouver, the Canucks have recalled Max Sasson, MacKenzie MacEachern, Nils Aman and Joseph LaBate, but left Kravtsov down in Abbotsford. The Abbotsford Canucks are off to a tough start to their season, with a 2-7-1 record and are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak.