Nikita Grebenkin is the Toronto Maple Leafs best kept secret
The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has been a welcomed surprise to fans, but where did he come from?
We're just two games into the Toronto Maple Leafs 2024 pre-season, and while a host of free agent signings made their debuts in the blue and white, it’s a prospect who has captured the hearts of Leafs Nation: Nikita Grebyonkin.
In an already competitive Toronto Maple Leafs depth chart, Grebyonkin has not only emerged as a standout to most fans but has also fulfilled the hopes of those who have been anticipating his arrival for years.
Born in 2003, the Russian forward made waves in his draft year by putting up 64 points in 58 MHL games as an overager. Those numbers were enough for the Maple Leafs to select him in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, 135th overall.
It’s a number that should make Leafs fans perk up. Another overager drafted out of the KHL at 135th overall? None other than Kirill Kaprizov. And the comparisons don't end there.
Nikita Grebenkin is the Toronto Maple Leafs best kept secret
Grebyonkin opted to remain in Russia for the 2022-2023 season, where he finally got a taste of KHL action. Over 52 games split between Magnitogorsk and Amur, he recorded 26 points, which was impressive enough to earn him KHL Rookie of the Year honours—an award previously won by players like Valeri Nichushkin and Andrei Vasilevsky, both now-established NHL stars.
Fast forward to his 2023-2024 campaign, and Grebyonkin elevated his game to new heights. With a staggering 19 goals and 41 points in 67 KHL games, he helped push his club to the KHL finals. To put his season into perspective, Grebyonkin’s 41 points ranked him third in U21 scoring, just behind Minnesota Wild top prospect Danila Yurov and Flyers phenom Matvei Michkov.
When we break that season down using the NHLe (NHL equivalency) calculator from Frozen Tools, his KHL output translates to about 40 points over an 82-game NHL season. That would have placed him fifth among rookies last year, behind Logan Cooley but ahead of fellow Leaf Matthew Knies. Think about that—a fifth-round pick from 2022, hypothetically delivering like a first-round talent.
Coming into this season, Grebyonkin stands at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, a size increase from his previously listed 6-foot-1, 191 pounds. His blend of size, skill, and maturity is a rarity, especially for a fifth-rounder, and the exact kind of left-wing presence the Leafs have long craved.
With one strong preseason performance already under his belt, capped off with a Ryan Reaves-style scrap that instantly endeared him to the fanbase, Grebyonkin has the tools to carve out a full-time, long-term role with the Maple Leafs.
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With numerous question marks regarding the forward group yet to be answered, it feels like the stars are aligning for this young Russian forward. Grebyonkin might just be the surprise we've been waiting for, and it's about time Leafs Nation learned his name.