Nikita Grebenkin was invited to the Maple Leafs' trip to Muskoka based on his ability but he's quickly becoming a popular player.
Nikita Grebenkin was invited to the Maple Leafs' trip to Muskoka based on his ability but he's quickly becoming a popular player.
BRACEBRIDGE, Ont. — Nikita Grebenkin's solid training camp earned the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie an invitation to the team's bonding trip in Muskoka. And it appears the player's popularity has only increased during the time up north.
"Grebenkin is one funny guy. He's quite a character, this kid," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the team's practice at the newly refurbished Muskoka Lumber Community Centre on Wednesday. "He's got a real bright future in this league.
"You know, he's close. He's impressed me just with his play and he's a good player obviously and has some ability with his puck skills and strength and skating. But he's quite a character off the ice, pretty funny guy, really enjoyed being around him."
The Maple Leafs signed the 21-year-old Russian winger to a three-year, entry-level contract on April 29. The 6-foot-1 power forward put up 19 goals and 22 assists in with Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the KHL last season and he's made an immediate impression in training camp.
In three pre-season games,. Grebenkin's contribution hasn't shown up on the scoresheet. But he's been an imposing figure on the ice. In a game against the Ottawa Senators, Grebenkin wasn't afraid to drop the gloves with forward Adam Gaudette.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUCZPl7DobU[/embed]
Immediately after the fight, Grebenkin raised his hands with a smile asking for noise. His teammates loved it, with heavyweight Ryan Reaves saying he was the "new heavy in town".
In Bracebridge, the Leafs enjoyed some golf, took in a sauna and jumped into the lake among other activities. Grebenkin kept things light with his limited comprehension of English, with a combination of one-liners or the odd joke.
"It's a little bit of both and then every once in a while he's got throw the translator out there on his phone," Mitch Marner said of Grebenkin. "He was keeping up and the whole week, he was a lot of fun to be around he had a lot of fun."
The Maple Leafs are in a bit of a salary cap crunch and Grebekin's chances of making the team out of camp are slim to none. The Leafs have the flexibility of being able to easily send Grebenkin to the Toronto Marlies without requiring waivers. But as injuries unfold during the regular season, it's clear that at some point we're going to see the Grebenkin get a chance with the Leafs.
And bringing Grebenkin, along with other players like Easton Cowan, is what the trip was all about.
"I think a lot of us were maybe not surprised, but he definitely probably opened up a lot of guys' eyes just to how good he is and how big and strong he is on the ice," Auston Matthews said of Grebekin. "Off the ice, he's a lot of fun to be around, likes to joke around.He's not shy. He's been a lot of fun to spend time around in this setting. He's definitely been making a lot of friends."
Related
News from THN.com
Which NHL Teams Have The Best Group Of Forwards?
Archive: Fred Sasakamoose Blazed Trails For Indigenous Peoples On And Off The Ice
Here's Why Drew Doughty's Devastating Injury Could Keep The Kings From Making The Playoffs