Maple Leafs rookie Nikita Grebenkin's comments following a 4-1 win against Chicago really seem to be resonating with the fan base in Toronto.
Grebenkin is not yet a household name in Toronto, but if his play on the ice and his enthusiastic personality off the ice are any indication, he might soon be just that.
Grebenkin was one of the beneficiaries from the Toronto Marlies who earned an NHL call-up when the Leafs were bitten hard by the injury bug up front and while he hasn't yet scored a goal, he has made his presence felt in a number of other ways.
One of the ways that Grebenkin has brought value to this Leafs team has been his physical play, finishing checks and making sure the opposition knows he's out there on every shift.
At the end of Monday's win over Chicago, Grebenkin actually set off a bit of a melee at the final horn.
The rookie winger had the opportunity to address the scrum following Tuesday's practice, and his response was certainly music to the ears of the Leafs' loyal fan base.
'Last second, game not done. I play. You play. Don't stop. Don't relax. You play NHL, you understand. I kill you. You kill me. It's business. No problem,' Grebenkin stated on Tuesday.
One Leaf who has really noticed Grebenkin and the heavy game he plays was Ryan Reaves, who is finally eligible to return from his 5-game suspension for his brutal head shot on Edmonton's Darnell Nurse.
Reaves not only appreciates what Grebenkin brings to the table, but the veteran winger actually believes the pair may be able to form quite the partnership, bruising and beating the opposition up and down the ice.
'He's been great. He's played physical. He's been getting to the net. He's had some chances. So, you know, it's been fun to watch him come up and play for a couple of games. I think it's going to be a nice tandem,' Reaves remarked, following Tuesday's practice.
Reaves made waves this week when he confirmed Nurse's comments that he was out to hurt people, though their two opinions have different connotations. Nurse believes Reaves wants to intentionally injure players, while Reaves implied that his role is to inflict pain by means of finishing his checks hard and dropping the gloves when necessary.
Nobody knows what may happen when the Leafs begin to re-insert their injured NHL regulars back into the lineup. With Max Domi and Max Pacioretty breathing down his neck, nearing their returns, Grebenkin may be running out of time to prove that he's NHL-ready now and belongs with the big club.
He'll have at least one more chance to really show the coaching staff that he's indispensable tonight against Nashville, and it's going to be fun to see Grebenkin and Reaves run around, creating chaos on a line together.
