Artem Grushnikov was the prospect involved in the trade that sent Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars, and now Grushnikov is off to Calgary.
Former Hamilton Bulldog Artem Grushnikov was the prospect involved in a trade between the Dallas Stars and the Calgary Flames yesterday. Grushnikov will now head out west to Calgary, Alberta to join the Flames organization.
The Dallas Stars have acquired Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Artem Grushnikov, a second round pick (2024) & a conditional third round pick.
Grushnikov has spent all of this season playing with the Texas Stars — the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars. Now, he will likely join the Wranglers in Calgary as a result of the trade.
When he played in the OHL with the Bulldogs from 2020-2023, Grushnikov was a defensive menace. Funny enough, Grushnikov and Chris Tanev are not all that different in terms of play style.
Grushnikov is very intelligent and strong defensively, he's relied upon in a variety of defensive situations and on the penalty kill. He's 6-foot-1, 194-pounds and a very tough customer in front of his own net. He is constantly active to block shots and passing lanes, and he has great reads defensively.
Grushnikov is not afraid to throw the big hit or fight to change the momentum of a game, and he uses his body a lot.
He won an OHL Championship with the Bulldogs in 2022, and also helped them to the Memorial Cup finals. He knows what it takes to win, and he is willing to sacrifice for the ultimate prize.
Grushnikov's play style has "pro" written all over it, and at best he projects as a bottom pair lockdown defenceman in the NHL. He doesn't have much offensive upside, but he can always be relied upon in his own zone. He balances out more offensively-inclined defenders quite well, and that is what he has continued to do in his full season as a pro in the AHL.