Nikita Grebenkin
When it comes to one of the Leafs biggest spark plug in recent weeks, no one has been more noticeable than the aggressive play of Nikita Grebenkin. Selected in the fifth round from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, he has already managed to make his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs this season.
Although Grebenkin has averaged just a little under nine minutes of ice time since being called up from the Marlies, his hard-nosed and heavy style of play have already caught the attention of the Leafs brass, as well as head coach Craig Berube. Despite also not having recorded a single point in his seven games to date with Toronto, he has certainly impressed with 13 hits and being relentless on the puck in puck battles.
More notably was his recent response to playing hard right to the buzzer when he delivered a late hit to initiate a scrum at the end of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks on December 2nd. When asked about his aggressive play following the game, Grebenkin's remarks were legendary.
Nevertheless, Grebenkin’s game is still raw, so it would be more valuable to him and his career to further grow his game with more playing time with the Marlies.
It is there where he should definitely average more than nine minutes a game to fine tune his skill set. With the right development, we could have the next Bobby McMann with a mean streak on our hands.