Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Faced with Tough Choice Regarding Promising Prospect
The case of Nikita Grebenkin has been an interesting one this season. The Flyers’ prospect had a fantastic training camp, and gave the organization no other choice but to give him a spot on the NHL roster.
Through training camp, it looked like Grebenkin was poised for a top-nine role. His play along the boards, puck battles, and even his clean zone entries helped him stand out from the rest of the bubble.
However, the early play of Christian Dvorak proved that the center is deserving of that top-nine role, pushing Grebenkin to the fourth line. Making things worse for Grebenkin, he has been splitting time with Nick Deslauriers, who has been playing more and more.
Grebenkin has not played since November 15th. With Florida next on the Flyers’ schedule, you have to wonder if he’ll even play on Wednesday.
Sitting around is never good for a young player’s development. So, is it time to just send Nikita Grebenkin back to the AHL?
What’s the problem?
Nikita Grebenkin is in a tricky spot. He certainly has more potential than being a fourth-line player. However, given the Flyers’ current roster, his role has been limited to such. There is such a thing as being too good for the fourth line, but not good enough to crack the top nine. That’s where the prospect stands.
“It’s tough because right now, we’re looking for fourth-line identity,” said Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet. “He’s kind of stuck in the middle there. We’re trying to find out what [Grebenkin] is in that sense. But that’s a process. [He’s a] [22]-year-old kid, you know, trying to every day.”
Despite playing just 12 games (One game more than Deslauriers), Grebenkin leads the fourth-liners in points. He has a goal and two assists for the Flyers this season. The only other fourth-liner to register a point is Rodrigo Abols, who has a goal.
Through all of that, ice time has been an issue, even in the games he is getting. In his 12 games this season, the winger has only surpassed 10 minutes five times. That is not a Grebenkin problem; that is a fourth-line problem.
It’s hard for a player to develop when playing less than 10 minutes a game, and that has become the problem for Grebenkin.
Read More: James: Grebenkin Needs More Games
What to Do with Nikita Grebenkin
The simple solution would be to just “find Grebenkin more ice time,” something Tocchet has said in the past. However, with the team’s logjam on the wing, that becomes increasingly difficult. If he is not playing, it’s hard to earn more ice time. To that same point, would the Flyers really put one of their top-nine wingers on the fourth line just to give someone else more time? I highly doubt it.
The fact of the matter is the Flyers, as an organization, need to do whatever they can reasonably to find Grebenkin ice time. Even when he’s playing games, 10 minutes is not cutting it.
The Flyers are not ignoring the issue. Tocchet is well aware that something has to give for Grebenkin. They are just trying to find the right way to go about it.
“Eventually, we’ve got to make decisions,” said Tocchet. “He’s got to play. Trust me, we’re talking all the time [with] Danny [Briere] and management about it. What’s the best way to handle him if he’s not going to play much? So we’ll figure that out as it goes.”
Nikita Grebenkin deserves to be in the NHL. However, it seems like the decision is close to being made, and the best place for him right now is the AHL. The Flyers return from their road trip on Sunday, while the Phantoms are also home. Could a decision be coming soon?
Read More: Flyers Trade Talk: Team Linked to Disgruntled Jets Prospect
He should be playing substantially more than Deslauriers is. The fact that Deslauriers has played 11 games is a joke, should be closer to 6. He will not be on the team next year and should only play versus teams that dress a semi goon.
Another example of Tocchet being Torts light and playing a treadmill veteran instead of a possible piece of the teams future.
There’s no “tough” decision. Grebenkin should be playing. The fact that Tocchet refuses to scratch Deslauriers, who offers very little other than fighting, is head scratching and mind numbing to most sensible people. It feels like Tocchet is intentionally targeting the Russian players on the club and is punishing them for some unexplained reason. This is why the Flyers needed a development coach, not a knuckle dragger who has a poor record as a head coach and am even worse reputation for player development.
Send him to LHV for a 15/20 game stretch of steady play….then bring him back and decide.
The way players go down anymore….he will be back sooner than expected.
My fear with Tocchet all along ways that he’d slow the development of young players and stick with known quantity vets. Grebenkin deserves to be playing not watching.
Flyers player development is pathetic. “Congrats, you had a great camp, now play 8 mins a game or sit and watch from the press box.” Play the guy or send him down, what is there to think about? They did the same crap with luchenko. How the hell is he gonna play his way into the line up from the press box??
Don’t shoot a Penguins fan, but I feel your pain about having a coach who prefers playing veterans with a known (and lesser) skill set at the expense of developing young players with higher potential.
Desaluriers is not an NHL player. Grebenkin should be in.
The new coach is the same as the old coach. The Flyers never learn.
The 4th Line as a whole needs to be reimagined. I am in agreement with most that Grebenkin should be playing over Deslauriers, but playing Grebenkin on the 4th Line isn’t going to help him much in his development either. Hathaway has either jumped the shark (34) in his hockey career or he has an undisclosed injury weighing him down. He has not looked like his reliable self so far this season. Abols is just Abols. Hathaway and Deslauriers are not doing him any favors either.