Nikita Grebyonkin is set to begin his first season in North America and his arrival excites Leafs fans.
He is fresh off a productive year where he amassed 41 points (19 goals and 22 assists) in 67 games to finish tied for second in scoring on Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Grebyonkin saw limited ice time in the KHL playoffs but his six points (three goals and three assists) in 23 postseason games were enough to help his team win the Gagarin Cup.
This helped him secure an ELC shortly after hosting the Gagarin Cup and it resulted in the former fifth-round pick of the 2022 Draft entering this upcoming campaign as one of the top prospects in the Leafs organization. You could even go as far as to say he has an outside chance of cracking the Leafs roster for a handful of games this year should he dominate the AHL. Even if he doesn’t make it to the NHL this upcoming season, the Marlies will be more than happy to have Grebyonkin on their roster. After all, he should be a huge boost to their forward unit because he has that clutch gene in him.
Amid his preparation for the 2024-25 season, he spoke with Responsible Gamblings’ Daria Tuboltseva on how the previous year went and how he is getting ready for life in Canada. As mentioned earlier, Grebyonkin’s production in the playoffs was a steep dropoff from where he was in the regular season. However, the reason for that is due to him suffering from an injury to his lower back as well as a sore shoulder, which he put his health at risk by trying to play through.
“I wasn’t the only one who played in the playoffs while taking painkillers and risking my health,” he admitted via translation. “Many of our guys had serious injuries. Everyone was determined to win. Although the pills helped to numb the pain, it wasn’t a complete relief.”
Grebyonkin has spent the last two months living in Toronto, which he has enjoyed so far but he is still getting accustomed to the big city lifestyle. While he is dealing with minor issues such as getting a driver’s licence, the big one is getting back to full strength as he did not skate for three months due to his injuries.
He believes his recovery process is going according to plan, especially with the support of the Leafs’ medical team keeping an eye on him.
“In Toronto, the coaches and medical staff are watching me closely,” he said. “They give me constant guidance on training, provide nutrition advice, and tell me what to avoid. All I can focus on right now is practicing and getting back in shape.”
Part of Grebyonkin’s acclamation process for living in Canada has been meeting up with his teammates and learning to speak English better. He has already met the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares while having a brief chat with newly appointed head coach Craig Berube. Grebyonkin has been pleased with how friendly people in Toronto have been despite his self-described bad English as well as with the advice and help he has gotten from people during his adjustment to his new life in North America. That includes former Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov, who has been in contact with the Russia prospect since he signed with the Leafs.
“Ilya and I called each other, talked, and we keep talking,” Grebyonkin said. “It would be much easier for me if he were here. He could help in some moments. But if it happened, then it had to be this way. I’d learn English faster. I asked Samsonov a lot about how everything is arranged here, and he helped me a lot.”
With the start of training camp fast approaching, Grebyonkin isn’t thinking too far ahead in terms of where he will end up to begin this upcoming season. He feels good about his health and is eager to learn the differences in playstyle between the KHL and NHL. It is too early to say definitively if he will start the season on the Leafs’ roster, but he is confident in himself to give it his all.
As for what fans can expect from him when he steps onto the ice with the cameras watching, Grebyonkin wants Leafs Nation to draw their own conclusions about who he is.
“It’s wrong for an athlete to describe himself. People should do it,” he said. “Fans should see my game for themselves and describe me. I will go out and prove on the ice and in the arena that I am ready and that I can play at this level. I know it’s difficult, but it’s all in my hands.”
