Maple Leafs prospect Nikita Grebyonkin is excited to start his career in North America and especially in Toronto as he has been living in the city for the past couple of months.
After putting 41 points and 67 games in the KHL and winning the Gagarin Cup, Grebyonkin is ready to get to work and show Maple Leafs fans what he could bring to the table as training camp is set to begin in mid-September.
«I wasn't the only one who played in the playoffs while taking painkillers and risking my health,» he admitted via translation. «Many of our guys had serious injuries. Everyone was determined to win. Although the pills helped to numb the pain, it wasn't a complete relief.»
Per eliteprospects.com, the 21-year-old winger was drafted in 2022 (5th Round, 135th overall)
With all the excitement, Grebyonkin is recovering from a back injury and a shoulder injury that hurt some of his production last season; Toronto's medical staff and their trainers are working hard to make sure that he is ready to compete for a spot this year.
«In Toronto, the coaches and medical staff are watching me closely,» he said. «They give me constant guidance on training, provide nutrition advice, and tell me what to avoid. All I can focus on right now is practicing and getting back in shape.»
He has immersed himself into the Leafs culture by speaking to many players including Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and former goaltender Ilya Samsonov. According to Grebyonkin, Samsonov has been instrumental in helping him learn the city and how everything is arranged.
«Ilya and I called each other, talked, and we keep talking,» Grebyonkin said. «It would be much easier for me if he were here. He could help in some moments. But if it happened, then it had to be this way. I'd learn English faster. I asked Samsonov a lot about how everything is arranged here, and he helped me a lot.»
With training camp less than a month away, Leafs management hopes to get a good glimpse on how he will perform and if he's able to make the team do you understand it will propel the Leafs forward. If he can't, he will spend his year with the Toronto Marlies.
