It’s been close to a month since the three-team trade between the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Calgary Flames, so now would be a good time to see the early impression of the immediate returns of the deal.
With that being said, this post will focus on the Flames’ newest defensive prospect: Artyom Grushnikov.
How has he settled in with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers? At the basic level, the Russian defender has yet to put up a point in nine AHL games while going minus-two. Not particularly flashy for the traditional fan, but the stat sheet—and offensive zone, more generally—is not where the Voskresensk-born defenceman shines.
What type of player is Grushnikov?
The six-foot-one defender is the prototypical defensive defenceman, with some aptitude in transition highlighted by good skating and decent puck skills.
A physical and defensive style of play
Grushnikov’s game is one of defensive suffocation and skating. The foundation of Grushnikov’s game is chance neutralization—which starts at zone entries—as the new Wranglers defender often isolates opponents to the boards, establishing good defensive leverage using his body and reach and often snuffing out chances before they even begin with smart physicality.
In controlled entries against, he demonstrates good risk assessment through an excellent active stick blocking passing lanes and nullifying possible skating lanes that could emerge in the middle. In-zone, he is relentless on the puck, and through decent positioning and box outs, he can be a huge punishing roadblock for opposing for forwards.
Active in board battles with his previously mentioned reach, muscle, and positioning, he can be a force, which is highlighted by the fact he wins 58% of all board battles. With his chance-nullifying, physicality, and board battle prominence, he gives players no room as he manages his defensive zone well. All of this demonstrates staunch defending and restricts the quality of chances against.
His agility and edgework help his transition game
In zone and transition, the Russian defender is also noticeable for his skating as he possesses a relatively clean, mechanical stride and around average ankle flection. His skating really stands out in terms of his agility and edge work. Combine this agility and edgework in his skating with above-average puck handling, and he excels in short D-to-D passes and breakout passes, which allows him to be an early threat on transition.
All in all, Grushnikov has relatively safe—albeit not very creative—decision-making, which—when considered with all of the previously mentioned skills in transition—makes him a competent defenceman. Transition play is one area in which the 21-year-old defenceman has room for more growth.
What weaknesses does Grushnikov need to overcome?
Some of Grushnikov’s main limitations revolve around his ability in the offensive zone—if you couldn’t tell by the stat line—and just some more refinement that will come with time. The former second-round pick particularly struggles with offensive awareness and identifying his play options. This slows down his pace of play—making him a less-than-ideal facilitator—which can be a real detriment to the playmakers on the Wranglers.
It goes without saying, but he is not the most offensively creative player, either. The Russian product is simply not the type of defender to wow fans or media with flashy o-zone plays, but that does not make him a less competent defender. Of more minor concerns, the former Texas Star tends to be slightly aggressive and struggles with gap control at times, but that is something to be expected from a growing defenceman still adjusting to the pro game.
Helping the Wranglers’ playoff push
Overall, look for Grushnikov to be a dependable defenceman for Head Coach Trent Cull and the Wranglers for the rest of the season leading to the AHL Calder Cup playoffs. His average ice time has been 16:43, but has been creeping up to the 20 minute mark showing that trust from Cull is being built as the regular season wraps up here. If Grushnikov can find layers—like better long-range passing and option identification in transition—he could be a solid shutdown defender for the C of Red fanbase for the foreseeable future.
What other prospects would you like a showcase article on? Let us know in the comment section below.
