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When the Buffalo Sabres decided to keep Mikhail Grigorenko on the roster rather than send him back to juniors, I applauded their decision. Grigorenko had dominated play in the Quebec Major Junior League with 50 points in 32 games. What more could he do there? It was time to see how he would handle the leap to the National Hockey League.
When the Sabres opted to send the 18 year old Grigorenko back to juniors, I was left with one question. Why?
What is this going to accomplish? Okay, that's actually a second question. He had nothing left to prove in juniors and even if he takes the Quebec Remparts on his back and leads them to a Memorial Cup Championship, I'll still be wondering why he isn't here getting ice time and developing.
In what has turned out to be one of the most miserable, depressing, life sucking seasons in Sabres history, Grigorenko, and what his future could be, provided one of the very few exciting story lines on this team.
I didn't go to the scrimmage back in January because I missed hockey so much that I had to see it as soon as possible. I didn't go because it was free, although that did fit my budget nicely. I went to see Mikhail Grigorenko as did many of the ten thousand fans who were in attendance that night.
The highlight of the season, to this point, was being in the First Niagara Center on January 29th to see Grigorenko score his first and only NHL goal. The ovation from the crowd was tremendous and it continued in the TV timeout when the goal was announced. Grigorenko had a big smile on his face as he stood by the Sabres bench.
In the first few games of the season as we were all debating whether or not the team should keep their first round pick in last year's draft on the roster or send him back, I felt he should stay as long as he didn't look completely lost and was a liability.
While his numbers certainly didn't set the league on fire, Grigorenko did not look overmatched. He played in 22 games, recording one goal, four assists and was a minus two while averaging 9 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time. He averaged just 12 shifts a game and eventually found himself playing on the fourth line.
Was he a defensive liability? There are six forwards still on the roster who have a plus/minus worse than Grigorenko's. He had a minus game just six times out of the 22 games in which he dressed and was even or a plus player in his last eight games before being sent back to juniors.
Grigorenko may have seen this coming since his playing time was reduced dramatically after Ron Rolston took over, which is ironic because Rolston's strength is thought to be his ability to teach young players. Grigorenko registered at least ten minutes of ice time in 10 of the 14 games he played in while Lindy Ruff was the coach. With Rolston behind the bench, Grigorenko topped that ten minute mark only once in eight games. He was at six minutes of ice time or less in four of the eight games.
Instead of going back to juniors, Grigorenko should have been getting more ice time and a chance to play on a top two line. What have the Sabres got to lose? This season is now all about trying to find out which young players will make up the new core group going forward. Grigorenko would have been better served to continue to work with Dawn Braid, the Sabres skating coach and be under the watchful eye of Doug McKenney, the Sabres strength and conditioning coach rather than be in the Quebec League.
When the Sabres opted to send the 18 year old Grigorenko back to juniors, I was left with one question. Why?
What is this going to accomplish? Okay, that's actually a second question. He had nothing left to prove in juniors and even if he takes the Quebec Remparts on his back and leads them to a Memorial Cup Championship, I'll still be wondering why he isn't here getting ice time and developing.
In what has turned out to be one of the most miserable, depressing, life sucking seasons in Sabres history, Grigorenko, and what his future could be, provided one of the very few exciting story lines on this team.
I didn't go to the scrimmage back in January because I missed hockey so much that I had to see it as soon as possible. I didn't go because it was free, although that did fit my budget nicely. I went to see Mikhail Grigorenko as did many of the ten thousand fans who were in attendance that night.
The highlight of the season, to this point, was being in the First Niagara Center on January 29th to see Grigorenko score his first and only NHL goal. The ovation from the crowd was tremendous and it continued in the TV timeout when the goal was announced. Grigorenko had a big smile on his face as he stood by the Sabres bench.
In the first few games of the season as we were all debating whether or not the team should keep their first round pick in last year's draft on the roster or send him back, I felt he should stay as long as he didn't look completely lost and was a liability.
While his numbers certainly didn't set the league on fire, Grigorenko did not look overmatched. He played in 22 games, recording one goal, four assists and was a minus two while averaging 9 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time. He averaged just 12 shifts a game and eventually found himself playing on the fourth line.
Was he a defensive liability? There are six forwards still on the roster who have a plus/minus worse than Grigorenko's. He had a minus game just six times out of the 22 games in which he dressed and was even or a plus player in his last eight games before being sent back to juniors.
Grigorenko may have seen this coming since his playing time was reduced dramatically after Ron Rolston took over, which is ironic because Rolston's strength is thought to be his ability to teach young players. Grigorenko registered at least ten minutes of ice time in 10 of the 14 games he played in while Lindy Ruff was the coach. With Rolston behind the bench, Grigorenko topped that ten minute mark only once in eight games. He was at six minutes of ice time or less in four of the eight games.
Instead of going back to juniors, Grigorenko should have been getting more ice time and a chance to play on a top two line. What have the Sabres got to lose? This season is now all about trying to find out which young players will make up the new core group going forward. Grigorenko would have been better served to continue to work with Dawn Braid, the Sabres skating coach and be under the watchful eye of Doug McKenney, the Sabres strength and conditioning coach rather than be in the Quebec League.