[Signing] Avalanche re-sign Mikhail Grigorenko

[SabreFan1]

I thought he was going to the KHL, I guess he just didn't like Buffalo

Way to go not having a clue before posting. He wanted a one-way contract with a guarantee not to be sent back to the AHL. The Sabres sid no and it was then being speculated by the media that he may bolt to the KHL in order to make much more money. It wasn't "just" that he didn't like the Buffalo Sabres, it was that he wanted a guarantee to play 82 game in the NHL.

Players do not dictate terms like that with GMs and coaches, so Grigorenko found himself getting traded.

[SabreFan1]

I'm jealous the Avs were able to snatch this guy up. Tons of potential.

Roy is the only coach that may be able to possibly salvage Grigorenko's career. He knows him the best.

[SabreFan1]

Between the O'Rielly crash and this signing, this trade is looking really good for the Avs

It was a good trade for both teams. ROR's current troubles will eventually pass.

[SabreFan1]

Does anyone?

Ummm yeah. Saskatoon is such a wonderful city. Oh wait, no it isn't.

1. Highest rate of new HIV cases in Canada.

2. 25% of all HIV newborn babies in Saskatchewan are born in Saskatoon.

....and the reason for those 2 wonderful statistics: Growing IV drug use, big problems with gangs, poverty and prostitution.

Now let's look at crime in the wonderful city of Saskatoon:

While the cops try and play it down, Saskatoon has the highest rate of violent crime in Canada.

Buffalo may have it's own problems, but you couldn't pay me to live in your oh so wonderful city.

There's a reason why former Sabres (including frmr. coach Scotty Bowman) and former Bills live in Buffalo after their playing days. Unlike your lovely patch of land in Canada, Buffalo is a desirable place to live as long as you have a few bucks to your name and aren't a dreg on society.

Next time you decide to insult somewhere that you've never been (don't even try to pretend you've been here before), you may want to take the name of the God-forsaken crap hole that you live in out of your profile.

[mikeburn]

Way to go not having a clue before posting. He wanted a one-way contract with a guarantee not to be sent back to the AHL. The Sabres sid no and it was then being speculated by the media that he may bolt to the KHL in order to make much more money. It wasn't "just" that he didn't like the Buffalo Sabres, it was that he wanted a guarantee to play 82 game in the NHL.

Players do not dictate terms like that with GMs and coaches, so Grigorenko found himself getting traded.

Unless you're privy to something not in public domain, then you're speculating there too. Which is fair enough considering there really wasn't much released about the state of negotiations. Sooo... seeing how we're all speculating, I'll go for the middle ground and think about the context...

I mean, on one hand, sure, we're talking about a 21 year old who has had 3 years to stake a claim to belonging in the NHL, and just simply hasn't proven a thing. But we're also talking about a kid who has reportedly dived into making a permanent home in N.America (even his mom has moved over to be closer to her son) and at least last season went into camp ready to earn a spot - some even argue that he did win the chance to start the season with the Sabres and would have if not for management wanting to give their latest toy (newly drafted Reinhart) a gift-wrapped taste of the big leagues. And sure, he had some sporadic call ups, but it's not like he was put into a position to succeed, consider - the Sabres dump 'n chase game was hardly suited to Girgenko's game, the repeatedly gutted roster meant little depth/support and constantly line mates, the sporadic nature of the call-ups doesn't exactly give a kid a good stretch to get used to things and showcase himself, and you also gotta wonder how the "climate" around the team, especially last year, affected any of the younger players.

So basically, we're talking about a kid whose development has arguably been stalled at least in part by 3 years of circumstances entirely beyond his control - most notably by unstable management, inconsistent coaching and changing expectations - while concurrently, the team managed to draft 2 other centers with arguably higher upside, and there was wide-spread speculation management was looking to bring in a proven top 6 center too (see: O'Reilly).

With all in this context in mind, and in the absence of anything (other than media-driven gossip) to support the notion Girgorenko has a "character" issue, I'd speculate that the kid wanted a guaranteed genuine shot to earn a roster spot in September - and I wouldn't blame him. It's not his fault he was rushed into the league (eating time on his ELC), it's sure not his fault that the team managed to draft a couple youngsters who will be given every opportunity possible to surpass him in the depth before he's ever had a genuine chance to make his own case.

I can just totally see the kid looking at how he's fallen between cracks so far and looking at his best case scenario going forward, and realizing that it would never matter how well he played - he'd always be looking at too many bodies ahead of him in the depth.... So, I speculate he wanted a guaranteed genuine shot to earn an NHL roster spot, management wouldn't give it (and yeah, they could have too, but elected not to, and fair enough), talks paused during the time of year, and ultimately management moved his rights.

Sometimes pieces just don't end up fitting after all, doesn't mean there's a "character" issue, crazy demands, etc. Just means it's time to move it along.

[coryberg]

Ummm yeah. Saskatoon is such a wonderful city. Oh wait, no it isn't.

1. Highest rate of new HIV cases in Canada.

2. 25% of all HIV newborn babies in Saskatchewan are born in Saskatoon.

....and the reason for those 2 wonderful statistics: Growing IV drug use, big problems with gangs, poverty and prostitution.

Now let's look at crime in the wonderful city of Saskatoon:

While the cops try and play it down, Saskatoon has the highest rate of violent crime in Canada.

Buffalo may have it's own problems, but you couldn't pay me to live in your oh so wonderful city.

There's a reason why former Sabres (including frmr. coach Scotty Bowman) and former Bills live in Buffalo after their playing days. Unlike your lovely patch of land in Canada, Buffalo is a desirable place to live as long as you have a few bucks to your name and aren't a dreg on society.

Next time you decide to insult somewhere that you've never been (don't even try to pretend you've been here before), you may want to take the name of the God-forsaken crap hole that you live in out of your profile.

Way to take the high road champ

[SabreFan1]

Way to take the high road champ

I put him on blast because I was tired and cranky last night and since I know a half-decent amount about the bigger things in Canada, the living in Saskatoon and being only 8 years younger than me parts in his profile jumped out at me immediately. He's in his 30's and should know better. I can usually ignore people from Vancouver and even Toronto when they bad mouth Buffalo for something that is actually true (like the city school system populated by morons), because both are world class cities and Buffalo lost that distinction about 70 years ago, but Saskatoon, puh-leeze.....

*edit* added two words into one of my sentences so the grammar would make sense.

[SabreFan1]

Unless you're privy to something not in public domain, then you're speculating there too. Which is fair enough considering there really wasn't much released about the state of negotiations. Sooo... seeing how we're all speculating, I'll go for the middle ground and think about the context...

.....Sometimes pieces just don't end up fitting after all, doesn't mean there's a "character" issue, crazy demands, etc. Just means it's time to move it along.

I'll point out what a lot of people on CDC and even the idiots on HFboards already knows about Grigorenko. You watch the Sabres so you should know these things.

Fact: 18 mos. ago he publicly threatened to not report back to his junior club in an attempt to force the Sabres to keep him in the NHL. I can't even imagine Reinhart doing that last year when he was told to report back to juniors and he his leaps and bounds better than Grigorenko. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=700406

Fact: Pre-trade, Grigorenko's agent, Valeria Gushina, let the hockey news and the Sabres know that he was getting offers from the KHL, specifically Moscow. That's called an attempt to once again strong-arm the Sabres.

When both you and your agent show impudence like that on two separate occasions in an 18 month span, you are the very definition of a problem child/player. There is no middle road.

He isn't even the first Russian named Grigorenko to pull this cr*p either. In 2007 Igor Grigorenko went back to the KHL after refusing to report to the Red Wing's AHL affiliate. Russians players have a reputation for a reason and Grigorenko is just perpetuating it. He was given his one-way deal (675k) by the Avs this year so he agreed to stay in the NHL, let's see what he does with his final chance to prove his worth.

[falcon45ca]

Ummm yeah. Saskatoon is such a wonderful city. Oh wait, no it isn't.

1. Highest rate of new HIV cases in Canada.

2. 25% of all HIV newborn babies in Saskatchewan are born in Saskatoon.

....and the reason for those 2 wonderful statistics: Growing IV drug use, big problems with gangs, poverty and prostitution.

Now let's look at crime in the wonderful city of Saskatoon:

While the cops try and play it down, Saskatoon has the highest rate of violent crime in Canada.

Buffalo may have it's own problems, but you couldn't pay me to live in your oh so wonderful city.

There's a reason why former Sabres (including frmr. coach Scotty Bowman) and former Bills live in Buffalo after their playing days. Unlike your lovely patch of land in Canada, Buffalo is a desirable place to live as long as you have a few bucks to your name and aren't a dreg on society.

Next time you decide to insult somewhere that you've never been (don't even try to pretend you've been here before), you may want to take the name of the God-forsaken crap hole that you live in out of your profile.

I think I touched a nerve! Must of hit pretty close to home to get you all riled up like that.

You can say whatever you like about Saskatoon, it's not "my city" & nothing you can say about it will I find offensive.

I thought the "big blush" emoji would have shown that my comment was tongue-in-cheek, i.e. not meant to be taken seriously, but obviously you're a pretty sensitive fella!

You're right, I've never been to Buffalo... but I'll wager you've never been to Saskatoon! You should come, stop by for a visit sometime! We give a free case of HIV & a gang-banger curb stompin' to every 10th tourist...who knows, you might get lucky!

[theminister]

Correct me if I'm wrong, SF1....

But didn't the problem start in year two when Grig and his agent wanted to be sure he wasn't going to be sent back to the Q? The team had publicly stated he was too good for Junior and he wanted to go to the KHL to play in a pro league against men if he wasn't on the Sabres since he wasn't eligible for the AHL. The team stated they wouldn't and that he made the club out of camp. He then played ok and they decided to send him down again despite their previous promises that he wouldn't be. That's why he didn't want to report and go the Q. The club reneged and screwed him. He was right to be ticked off.

That's how I remember it, anyway. If that's accurate then it's on the club not the kid.

[saucypass]

By that point in time Mack should be a centre again and Grigs will probably be on the LW. Anyways that top line will never happen. Landy and Mack just don't mesh with Dutchy for whatever reason. He seems to be a hard guy to find chemistry with. Would expect the core to look more like:

Because he's a flipping hog with the puck.

[SabreFan1]

Correct me if I'm wrong, SF1....

But didn't the problem start in year two when Grig and his agent wanted to be sure he wasn't going to be sent back to the Q? The team had publicly stated he was too good for Junior and he wanted to go to the KHL to play in a pro league against men if he wasn't on the Sabres since he wasn't eligible for the AHL. The team stated they wouldn't and that he made the club out of camp. He then played ok and they decided to send him down again despite their previous promises that he wouldn't be. That's why he didn't want to report and go the Q. The club reneged and screwed him. He was right to be ticked off.

That's how I remember it, anyway. If that's accurate then it's on the club not the kid.

I have no idea where you read all of that. It's odd how rumours spread over the internet when it comes to supposed "insider information". I know you've seen it to, but I love when a normal everyday Joe Schmo poster begins a post with, "according to my sources".

My guess is that it came from the self proclaimed "experts" on HFboards. Once again proving my case that CDC is better than HFboards.

The only times that Grigorenko showed promise was during development camps. He was weird that way. He could play very good during camp against NHL'ers, but once the regular season hit he was never consistent. He would have more downs than he would have ups.

The problem started when he was kept on the big club by Darcy Regier. Just like Reinhart, Grigorenko had nothing left to prove in Juniors but had nowhere else to go because he wasn't old enough to join the AHL. As with Reinhart, Grigorenko had to work on his physical and on-ice deficiencies through the junior system.

The problem that players have with juniors is that they see next to no money, while players in the AHL make decent money and finally the players in the NHL make great money. That's why Grigorenko didn't want to go back to the AHL. He's been thrown between the juniors league and more recently the AHL and so he hasn't had the opportunity to make a steady NHL paycheque.

The recent situation came down to 2 things. Neither of which involved lying by either the club or the player's agent.

1. He was so incredibly poorly handled by Darcy Regier, the kid never had a good chance to succeed in the NHL. He will hopefully get better development with the Avs. They just need to shield him on their 3rd and 4th lines while they develop him properly.

2. The KHL would pay him on a guaranteed steady salaried contract. The Sabres weren't willing to do the same. Had he signed a 2-way contract, his pay would be 2-tiered depending where he played, which in all likelihood would have been in Rochester most of the season.

I have no hard feelings for the kid. Quite the contrary in fact. Even during the crap that Regier kept putting him through for nearly 2 seasons, he stuck with the NHL instead of bolting elsewhere while he was still under contract.

That being said, the Avs gave him nearly the minimum league salary for a reason. He still has much to prove. If Roy can mold him with the Avs the same way he molded him in juniors, Grigorenko has a bright future ahead of him. If not, then he'll just be another 1st round bust to add to the pile.

[Bure_Pavel]

I'm pretty jealous of the Avs that was an amazing deal for them and have done a great job drafting the last few years, I think there is a good chance of them grabbing a Stanley cup in a few years down the line.

[SabreFan1]

I'm pretty jealous of the Avs that was an amazing deal for them and have done a great job drafting the last few years, I think there is a good chance of them grabbing a Stanley cup in a few years down the line.

Tim Murray has been making very fair deals with other GMs that address both side's needs. He's going to have GMs calling him for deals before many other teams get calls. It's a good way to do business.