Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and former Philadelphia Flyers bench boss Craig Berube likes what he's seen from Nikita Grebenkin, one of his old players. And he knows there's room for plenty more as Grebenkin embarks on the next chapter of his NHL career with the Flyers.
Appearing on the "Nasty Knuckles" podcast with Riley Cote and Derek Settlemyre, Berube took the time to talk up the Flyers' newest prospect, drawing on his brief hands-on experience with Grebenkin when the latter was with the Maple Leafs early last season.
"As a player, he's got some really good skill down low in the offensive zone. He's got good hands, he's big and strong. He's got to continue to work on his skating. That was an area of concern a little bit," Berube said of Grebenkin.
The 22-year-old Russian winger played seven games under Berube for the Maple Leafs last season, not including the preseason, and showcased some of his untapped ferocity with 13 hits.
One of those hits, which was questionable, injured Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore in his NHL debut on Nov. 20. But that's proof in itself that Grebenkin is the hammer that sees everything as a nail and likes to play on the edge.
Plus, Grebenkin dropped the gloves with Ottawa forward Adam Gaudette in the preseason.
"The kid's got jam, got in a couple fights for us. He likes to mix it up, and he's got an unreal personality. This guy is as funny as it gets. I don't know if he can even speak a word of English, but he does, and he had this thing there, 'Backcheck, forecheck, paycheck.' That was all he kept saying in the room," Berube continued.
"I really liked him, and he's got potential. Like I said, he's got some ability with his size and his hands, and he has that jam. He's going to get in there. He's going to get involved. He likes to bang bodies, likes to get to that net, not scared to mix it up, which is good to see. I wish him all the best because I really liked him."
Grebenkin, of course, was arguably the crown jewel of the Scott Laughton trade with the Maple Leafs that also yielded the Flyers a 2027 first-round pick for their efforts.
Berube, who worked closely with the Flyers and frequented the Wells Fargo Center between jobs after being fired by St. Louis in 2023, really likes the player. And at the age of 22, Grebenkin only has room to grow and improve.
At one point, the Flyers had called up Grebenkin on an emergency basis to potentially make his debut for the team, but that was put on pause within the hour.
So, after being acquired by the Flyers, Grebenkin spent the rest of the year in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in 11 regular season games and adding a goal, three assists, and four points in a seven-game Calder Cup playoff run.
With only Tyson Foerster and Owen Tippett set in stone at the left wing position, you have to imagine that Grebenkin will have an opportunity to make the Flyers out of camp in a few months, independent of if Jakob Pelletier re-signs with Philadelphia or not.
