Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Grachev Excelling In Playoffs

While the Rangers are out of the playoffs, Jess Rubenstein at The Prospect Park continues to follow Ranger prospects in the playoffs including Evgeny Grachev whose inspired play in Game 3 of the OHL Championship helped his Brampton Battalion get back in the series after dropping the first two games...

"Grachev as we said was credited for just one assist as well as a +2 but we wish there was a stat that showed other things such as power plays generated for your team. If that was the case then Grachev was a +2 there as he drew 2 key penalties against the Spitfires."

With that assist Grachev now has 11 goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff games.

Rubenstein also looks at defensive prospect Tysen Dowzak of the Kelowna Rockets.

...unless Sather is able to pull off a cap miracle this off-season the Rangers may have to rely on Grachev to be the team's sniper next year.

3 comments:

King Byrne said...

Unless he absolutely wows everyone in training camp, I think the Rangers would like to see him go to Hartford for a year. The difference in play from Juniors to the NHL is too large, only a few players can make the jump and still be productive, and those guys are usually named Crosby, Toews, Phaneuf or Kane.

Unknown said...

Grachev can not play in the AHL next season. He will be too young.

As long as my understanding of the rule is correct he will not turn 20 until 2010 and he would have to turn 20 in 2009 to play in the AHL next year.
So either the NHL or OHL for grachev next year.

King Byrne said...

That rule doesn't apply for Europeans...Anisimov played the entire season for the Wolfpack last year when he was just 19: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0008802008.html