GlassesJacketShirt
Registered User
Oh, I know they have no regrets. Even if he wasn't playing well, which is not the case, it's way too early to start regretting. At the very minimum, this is no David Fischer case.
C Mikhail Grigorenko - Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (2012 draft) III
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Oh, I know they have no regrets. Even if he wasn't playing well, which is not the case, it's way too early to start regretting. At the very minimum, this is no David Fischer case.
Both teams should just be happy they have exciting new center prospects while Toronto has none!!!!! 
pigpen65
Registered User
- Jul 25, 2011
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It's great for Grigorenko to be doing this now. Could you imagine the **** he would be getting right now if it was Galchenyuk with 20 points and him with 9 points? Or worse, if he did was Yakupov did, refused being assigned back to juniors and went to the KHL? Either of those and he would be getting just insanely roasted right now. Maybe more than any other player in the draft it was vital for him to produce big right from the get go, and that's what he's done. Of course, there are still the detractors that it wouldn't matter if he was producing 5 points per game, they would still undercut him by saying that it's the Q and aside from those 5 points per game, he's been completely invisible. But that's just how it is. I think a year or two from now, dropping to 12th will be seen as the best thing for him. It took the pressure off him he would have been getting had he gone 3rd or 5th to a Canadian team, and it probably gave him a bit of a chip on his shoulder to prove people wrong.
tsujimoto74
Moderator
- May 28, 2012
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#GrigFacts: "I don't care about 29 teams. It's about one team, Buffalo Sabres, and proving them right."
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
To be fair, Rob Schremp said exactly that after the oilers drafted him at 25. Not saying they're the same but it's pretty easy to say something like that.
UsernameWasTaken
Let's Go Hawks!
I agree with that. I think the criticism of Grig last year was unfair and am glad he's having a great year so far. I think he's going to be really good in the NHL.
Both teams should just be happy they have exciting new center prospects while Toronto has none!!!!!
We've got a stud D prospect
whose style and IQ is compared to guys like Duncan Keith and Kris Letang. I think we're all good.Yeah. The criticism of Grigorenko was so overblown. The whole Russian factor, work ethic, and his intensity level, pretty much every part of his game coming under the scanner.
The way I see it...If superstar's like Ovechkin can have bad seasons, Grigorenko surely can afford to have a bad playoff series and a string of bad games in the QMJHL.
I'd absolutely love it if he became a #1C for the Sabres. Big centers usually come off as "lazy" when they play...I'm pretty sure Joe Thornton, Spezza, Getzlaf, Sundin etc were all criticized at one point or another of being lazy because of their style of play.
Not comparing him to those guys but I'd say Grigorenko has a great chance of being a top 6 playmaking center.
EichHart
Registered User
We've got a stud D prospect
I agree. Personally I think everyone in our division had a great draft. The only question mark being Subban with Boston, but they needed to replace Thomas so I think they will be just fine. Galc, Reilly, Grigs, Ceci were all great picks IMO.
Kunta Kinte
Registered User
- Nov 10, 2011
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Grigorenko has been amazing so far. Great positionning offensively and his shot is accurate so far. But his team is really stacked offensively, it helps a lot and it shows in the stats so far. Galchendyuk doesn't have the same quality of linemates at all. Reid Boucher almost never play on his line. They used Gally at LW at times. Its really hard to compare stats between different league, because we all know the gap between a good and a bad team in the CHL can be really big.
And I don't get why so many Habs fans are scared and afraid of need to put Grigorenko down. Its not like Galchenyuk is bad. 4 goals, 5 assists in 7 games isn't to worry about, he leads his team in scoring. Sarnia's coach is shuffling the lines a lot and Boucher and Sarault have good chemistry so they usually play together but last two games they switched lines. Quebec is just more a much more dominant hockey clubs year in, year out and Grigorenko is taking full advatange of it, as it should. Gally is just starting back to play on a regular basis. It will take some time.
And I don't get why so many Habs fans are scared and afraid of need to put Grigorenko down. Its not like Galchenyuk is bad. 4 goals, 5 assists in 7 games isn't to worry about, he leads his team in scoring. Sarnia's coach is shuffling the lines a lot and Boucher and Sarault have good chemistry so they usually play together but last two games they switched lines. Quebec is just more a much more dominant hockey clubs year in, year out and Grigorenko is taking full advatange of it, as it should. Gally is just starting back to play on a regular basis. It will take some time.
TheBeastCoast
Registered User
I never thought Grigs should have feel as far as he did but every time I saw him last year I was left some what dissapointed, which might be becuse Mackinnon one upped him everytime they played each other but he should have been a top 10 pick easy
The most frustrating thing about Grigs is that in 5 years people will hold him up as a draft steal when anyone with a brain right now knows he's a top 5 pick.
I don't think thats a fair statement to make. These are just prospects at the start of their professional careers, people will obviously disagree on where each one end up.
I agree with you though Grigs is not a steal. I know my definition of steal might be different than others. I just believe that it did not require any particularly great scouting from the Sabres part to pick Grigs, it was just a nobrainer of a move.
UsernameWasTaken
Let's Go Hawks!
He, Forsberg, and Teravainen will make a bunch of teams look foolish for passing on them.
Too many of you speak in absolutes. NHL scouts an GMs knew the kid could score in juniors, but they still passed on him. He hasn't proven anyone wrong yet.
Exactly. I just shake my head when people claim a player is a 'steal' a few months after the draft.
Albeit tagging him as a steal as of now is admittedly premature from an exterior perspective... do you think it's any less extreme to say his very good start doesn't mean anything?
pigpen65
Registered User
- Jul 25, 2011
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While i totally understand your point on the broad scale, on a smaller scale there was a good amount of doubt about him committing to North America, which definitely influenced his fall to 12. I mean, there was no 11 for him. Washington picked 11, and there was 0 chance they were taking a Russian. In hindsight, it was probably an even bigger factor for the rest of the GM's than we knew being that they actually had the inside info on the almost absolute likelihood of the lockout, which made it way way riskier to take a guy who was already considered a risk to bolt. So in a small way, just by signing his contract so easily and going to juniors without a peep, he has already proven some of it wrong.
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UsernameWasTaken
Let's Go Hawks!
I agree that saying he's a "steal" seems premature - but at the same time there was a lot of negative noise about him around the time of the draft that might well have been quite unjustified (for example, there was the age controversy; the poor play/mono issue; as well as rumours [unproven] that some teams may have been fueling negative press in the hope that he fell to them).
I think he's a better player (and will be a better player in the NHL) then his draft spot indicates...so i'm very happy that he's had a strong start - i'm not someone who would call him a "steal" (b/c, as above, i think it's too early to say that) - but i do hope and believe that over time he'll prove the naysayers wrong.
There's nothing wrong with liking/supporting a player and being excited to see them do well...honestly, i have more patience for people who suffer from over-enthusiasm when a player does well than for those who get overly negative when a player doesn't have a hot start.
Getting "over the top" is annoying...but so is being overly cynical.
Plante
Devils Advocate
If you liked Grigorenko last season, you'll love him this season. He's taken his type of high-skill game to another level...
If he wasn't your cup of tea. He probably still isn't.
If he wasn't your cup of tea. He probably still isn't.
