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On Wednesday night, as Calgary Flames commerce acquisition Artem Grushnikov chatted with a reporter from his new hockey house, you possibly can often hear a cheer or a whistle within the background.
The 20-year-old blue-line prospect was nonetheless on the rink, watching what was abruptly his former workforce. He caught round to say a correct farewell to his friends.
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A couple of half-hour earlier than he was set to hit the ice with the Dallas Stars’ farm membership, the Russian rearguard realized that he’d been swapped to Calgary as a part of the return package deal for shot-blocking machine Chris Tanev. The Flames additionally obtained a second-round choice within the 2024 NHL Draft, plus a conditional third-rounder in 2026 that hinges on the Stars advancing to the Stanley Cup last this spring.
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“(Grushnikov) is a first-class particular person, and he needed to say a number of phrases,” mentioned Neil Graham, the top coach for the AHL’s Texas Stars, throughout a post-game scrum. “He spoke very extremely of our group and his time right here, and we really feel the very same manner about him. When it comes to his character, it’s via the roof. You’re not going to get a harder-working participant. I hope he has tons of success and alternative transferring ahead in Calgary.
“That’s the nature of the enterprise — you’re going to have to maneuver an asset to amass a participant of Tanev’s qualities. So Grush goes to go there, and I hope there’s an excellent path for him. I instructed him I’m from Calgary so if he wants something, a home-cooked meal, let me know. However we want him nothing however the most effective, and we hope he has a shiny future.”
The Flames imagine he does.
Commerce grades are all the fashion, we get it, however should you’re judging the acquisition of Grushnikov by the stats you will discover on his HockeyDB web page, you’re most likely lacking the purpose.
Some followers in Dallas, in the event that they’re not accustomed to Tanev’s sport, is likely to be making the identical mistake.
Whereas it’s definitely not truthful to match a man who’s performed only one professional season to a man whose fearless fashion has left him with only one entrance tooth, Grushnikov and Tanev do have some frequent traits.
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Each are devoted to a defence-first strategy.
Each take nice pleasure of their penalty-killing prowess.
Each are, apparently, beloved teammates. Tanev’s departure will rock the room on the Saddledome, even when it was inevitable that this pending unrestricted free agent can be traded earlier than deadline day. (It’s becoming that Tanev’s stint with the Flames ended with a blocked shot. Actually, the 34-year-old was credited with an help off his shin-pads on Mikael Backlund’s empty-netter Tuesday in opposition to the Los Angeles Kings.)
Grushnikov, who’s listed at 6-foot-2 and 194 lb. and has a left-handed curve on his stick, has collected one objective and 5 factors in his 44 minor-league outings this season. He’ll report back to the AHL’s Wranglers.
“He is aware of what he’s as a participant. I feel that’s what I like about him,” mentioned Flames GM Craig Conroy throughout an interview on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. “He performs exhausting. He’s an excellent penalty-killer, a defensive defenceman, an excellent puck-mover, however he performs inside himself. He appears to know what he’s, and he does it actually, rather well. And to be a 20-year-old within the American League, he’s having an excellent 12 months. I do know the numbers aren’t going to pop, however we’ve got guys like Jeremie Poirier and Hunter (Brzustewicz), offensive guys. It is a excellent complement to gamers like that.”
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Certainly, the Flames have a number of could-be power-play quarterbacks of their defence pipeline. They drafted Poirier — now again to apply with the AHL’s Wranglers after lacking most of this season because of a skate laceration — and Etienne Morin and welcomed Brzustewicz within the latest swap that despatched Elias Lindholm to Vancouver.
Amongst their rising rearguards, Grushnikov joins Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov as essentially the most promising stay-at-home kinds.
Phrase is, the Flames’ novice scouts have at all times appreciated Grushnikov’s sport. He was chosen within the second spherical in 2021, the third member of a Stars’ draft class that was headlined by Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven. That subsequent season, he helped the Hamilton Bulldogs to an OHL title and a Memorial Cup berth.
The experiences from Calgary’s professional scouts had been equally encouraging.
As Conroy mulled commerce provides for Tanev, he requested his growth coaches to review video of Grushnikov — one other stamp of approval — and made calls to his contacts within the junior ranks.
“We did numerous homework on him,” Conroy instructed Flames Discuss on Sportsnet 960 The Fan. “Speaking to folks that had him within the OHL, he’s going to do no matter it takes to be a participant, and that’s what you want to listen to. You understand, he does all the additional. He’s within the health club. He’s out after apply. That is his objective, and that is what he desires to do.
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“They mentioned it’s going to be exhausting to maintain him out of the NHL. These are the great issues to listen to, and that’s what you’re in search of once you’re doing all of the background checks. We speak about tradition and what we wish to usher in, and he appears like an excellent match.
“I talked to him (Wednesday) and he appeared very excited. I can’t wait to fulfill him in particular person.”
Grushnikov, throughout that transient chit-chat with Conroy, was nonetheless on the rink in Cedar Park, Texas.
He was effervescent about this new alternative, saying “I’m so proud proper now to be a part of Calgary,” however he didn’t wish to go away with out saying goodbye to his buddies. Tells you a large number about him, doesn’t it?
“I’m a tough employee and I attempt to do no matter I can,” Grushnikov replied when requested to explain his sport. “You understand, hockey is my life and I do all for being a professional, for taking part in, and do all for my dream. My dream is to win the Stanley Cup.”
wgilbertson@postmedia.com
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