After being bought out by the Colorado Avalanche following a disappointing last place season, Mikhail Grigorenko has found a new team. The Russian forward is headed back home. He will play in the KHL for CSKA Moscow, signing a three-year deal.
Nikita Nesterov and Mikhail Grigorenko signed 3-year deals with CSKA of the #KHL #Habs #Avs
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) July 7, 2017
Grigorenko finally signs with CSKA. Unlike draft buddy Yakupov, he knows quite well his NHL career is over, so he just took the money. #Avs
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) July 7, 2017
Mikhail Grigorenko Headed to CSKA in the KHL
The talk around the Avalanche had been focused on Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog. However, Grigorenko might be one of the most disappointing players on the team last year. Acquired in the Ryan O`Reilly trade, the Buffalo Sabres former 12th overall pick never found his place in the NHL.
The 22-year-old forward was due for a contract at the end of the season but wasn’t offered one from the Avalanche. He scored just 10 goals and 23 points in 75 games last season. In 217 career NHL games, the center has only recorded 22 goals and 64 points. He has also been criticized for his effort, especially in the defensive end of the ice. This was part of the reason he fell in the 2012 draft, after once being seen as a contender for the first overall pick.
Grigorenko`s 10 goals was a career high. His 27 points in 2015-16 was a career best. However that type of production just was not good enough to get him another NHL deal. It will ben interesting to see how his career goes back in Russia. After three years will he have rebuilt his reputation to take another shot at the NHL? Or will he forever go down as a player that could have been much more than he amounted to?
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