"At the time, the Toronto Maple Leafs trading away young winger Nikita Grebenkin at last season's deadline felt like the cost of doing business. The high-spirited Russian was someone that brought levity when he made his brief stint in the NHL last season but overall, it felt like the Leafs needed to go get someone more NHL-ready. Unfortunately, Grebenkin is set to make a sizeable impact on his new team."
"Grebenkin, along with a first-round pick, was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for the services of Scott Laughton. At the time of the trade, Laughton had enough term on his deal for Toronto to get two playoff runs out of the veteran centre and the Flyers retained half of his salary, making him a very cheap and somewhat reliable option in the bottom six."
"Basically, while it was a higher price than we all envisioned the Maple Leafs paying for a player like Laughton, we would be fine if it led to something more. Well, unfortunately, the Leafs are now without Laughton to start the season as he's out week-to-week, and south of the border, Grebenkin just so happens to be making the Flyers roster out of training camp. Not only is the 22-year-old making the roster, but he's on their first line with some very talented players."
Nikita Grebenkin was traded by Toronto to Philadelphia along with a first-round pick in exchange for Scott Laughton. The trade aimed to add a veteran bottom-six centre with affordable salary and term to support playoff pushes. Laughton’s week-to-week injury leaves Toronto without that veteran presence to start the season. Grebenkin made the Flyers' roster out of training camp and earned a spot on the first line alongside Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. Flyers staff and teammates praise Grebenkin’s positive attitude, and his early deployment creates a difficult matchup for opposing teams. The move now looks costly for Toronto as Grebenkin prepares to have a sizeable impact for Philadelphia.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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