As first broken by Derek Harmsworth, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired 24-year-old centre Mikhail Grabovski from the Montreal Canadiens for recently-drafted blueliner Greg Pateryn and a second-round pick in 2010.
Grabovski, a native of Germany who grew up in Belarus, has 29 NHL games to his credit in which he registered three goals and six assists.
He is described as an extremely fast player with excellent playmaking ability.
The downside? Grabovski's hands aren't the only thing that's soft. He is easily knocked off the puck and must play on the top two lines to be effective. He does not know the definition of physicality.
(Well, I'm sure he knows what it means, but that's not the point.)
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It's top six or bust for this guy, in more ways than one.
Grabby, as he was monikered by Habs fans, is a natural centre and will likely be given every opportunity to centre the Leafs' second line.
The important question is, who will flank him? Grabovski is a player who needs the right linemates to be successful, given his size (5'11", 182 lbs) and reluctance to get dirty.
He would probably be a good fit between a speedy goal scorer and a physical player with a defensive conscience.
Grabby, meet Jiri Tlusty and Nikolai Kulemin. This could be the fastest line in the entire league, not to mention one of the most entertaining.
The arrival of the newest Leaf could signal the end for Alexei Ponikarovsky. With the acquisition of Grabovski, along with gritty winger Niklas Hagman, the Leafs simply don't have room for a player like Ponikarovsky who hasn't carved out a defined role for himself.
What we have here is a solid deal for both teams. The Habs are simply stacked with young forwards and didn't have space for Grabovski. In return, they pick up what is likely to be a high second round pick two years down the road, as well as Pateryn, a fifth-round pick of the Leafs who is a long-term project defenseman.
The Leafs have lots of time to recoup a second rounder for the 2010 draft and with three stay-at-home guys currently in the system (Jeff Finger, Luke Schenn and Phil Oreskovic), Pateryn won't be missed.
The Maple Leafs might not be any good next year, but they'll be a lot of fun to watch.
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2 months ago
Sure another good move by THE FOSSIL, he'd make a great stock broker.
Lets see A high 2nd and a 5th and trade it away for a 4th...something wrong with the math here!
The Fossil, forgot to take his medication... again!!
The Captain
TOsports.ca
2 months ago
the captain is a moron... nuff said
2 months ago
Trade it for a fourth? Sure, Grabovski was a fourth-round pick, but his stock has risen dramatically since then.
That would be like saying the Leafs traded an eighth-round pick for a first-round pick, when in fact they traded Tomas Kaberle for Wade Belak.
from 2 months ago
Great analogy, (Kaberle and Belak).
Forget the past, I'm interested to see what the Leafs will be capable of moving forward. Obviously, with the Sundin question still in the air, Fletcher may have to be a bit tentative with contracts and big signings... unless he and Sundin know more about the situation than they are letting on. As a Leafs fan who found less and less spark over the past few years to hold my attention, I am hoping to get some exitement out of this team again. Forget contention, let's get some consistency first (and I don't mean consistent losing to Ottawa by eight goals!)
Go Leafs, go Flames... that's right, get going already! Your fans are waiting for great things.
2 months ago
wow Josh.
It never occurred to me until I read it in your post.
Tlusty Grabovski Kulemin
Damm..what a line.
Also figure Hagman Antro Blake maybe and we have our top 6?
2 months ago
I'd rather try Steen on the top unit and start Hagman out on the third line, but both guys are very versatile so Wilson will have lots of options.
I feel bad for Stajan though - I swear he's got untapped offensive potential and he won't get a chance to show it unless there are a few injuries.
2 months ago
Tlusty, Grabovski, and Kulemin would (or could) definitely be great to watch. I was thinking though that Robbie Earl could be lined up with Kulemin and Grabovski. Earl would add that extra edge and grit for the corners and still has that great speed and touch to go along with it. Who nows what Wilson will do, can't wait to see what it is though!
from 2 months ago
that's a great idea too Conor. Man, it's exciting to have so many young players to plug into different roles, isn't it?
2 months ago
tlusty grabovski kulemin????are you kidding?? cliff is that you??
2 months ago
great article, and a good move
2 months ago
Good luck with Grabovski. If he doesn't turn out to be another Perezhogin, then kudos to Fletcher.
2 months ago
i'm liking the speed factor that Hagman and Grabby bring... looks like the leafs won't be half a step slower like they were all last season.
Now fletcher now has some tradable assets. If Sundin comes back. Poni and Kubina (or McCabe) for a solid scorer. If Sundin comes back, the same package for a bunch of picks to keep the talent coming in.
from 2 months ago
I like it Mark. I'd prefer to move them for picks and prospects anyway - no need in my mind to bolster the lineup any further for this season, we're building for 2-3 years down the road.
2 months ago
HEY guys all of that stuff sound exciting,speed,and I hope you are all correct with these players you put together,and it sounds great,....but can all these guys with the great wheels, "Turn The Switch On" when it comes to defensive hockey,...remember that is how 'Wilson" coaches.
Time will tell,..but I can say one thing,I have been a 'Leaf" since 'The Turk" guarded the twine and this is as excited as I have been in many years about my "Leafs" and the rebuild.
I think what it is that make it so exciting, is the fact, that there are so many young players with so much different talent.Good work by "The Silver Fox".
from 2 months ago
Hagman's a strong defensive player and penalty killer, and Kulemin is said to be good in his own end as well. The thing is, with these guys, their speed alone gives them a much better chance to be good defensively than slow guys like Wellwood.
Granted, speed and transition speed are two different things, but with some seasoning, even players like Earl and Tlusty can be defensive assets, whereas someone like Wellwood was too slow to get back into position in his own end.
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