Leafs prospect producing at a similar rate to Artemi Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko in the KHL

When the Leafs announced that they were using a 5th round draft pick to select overage Russian forward Nikita Grebyonkin with the 135th selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, I don't think anyone was under the impression that the Leafs had just drafted a potential star. Now, just under 7 months later, Grebyonkin is raising eyebrows, turning heads and dropping jaws with his undeniable skill, playing at the highest level in Europe, dominating all U20 competition in the KHL as a 19-year-old.

Historically, it has been very difficult for young players to earn playing time in the KHL. It's even more rare for them to excel in their first season. Thus far, Grebyonkin has amassed 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points. He currently leads all U20 players in the KHL in points.

What Grebyonkin is doing right now is pretty special. While he's not quite on the same level that Kirill Kaprizov and Evgeny Kuznetsov were in their 19-year-old seasons in the KHL, he is producing similarly to what we saw from Artemi Panarin and Vladimir Tarasenko.




While there's no guarantee that the success he's having in the KHL would follow him to the NHL, the early results that we're seeing right now are a little tough to ignore - even more tough to not get excited about.