No. 15: Nikita Grebenkin
2024-25 Primary League/Team: Toronto Marlies (AHL)/ Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 9 G, 12 A in 39 GP (TOR)/3 G, 4 A in 11 GP (LHV)
Age as of 9/2/2025: 22
Acquired Via: Trade with Toronto
While the trade that sent Scott Laughton to the Maple Leafs at this year’s deadline was primarily centered around the 2025 first round pick the Flyers’ acquired, the forgotten third piece of the puzzle has become an increasingly important member of the Flyers’ farm team. Nikita Grebenkin’s strong start throughout his time with the Toronto Marlies got him some time on a deep Leafs squad, and his KHL play before that shows that there is definitely some potential for him to take another jump onto an NHL roster, this time for good.
How did Grebenkin’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?
Grebenkin’s debut AHL season was largely a continuation of what he was doing in Russia; speed, nice hands, and a whole lot of chaotic energy. Ten points in 13 games with the Marlies was enough for the Maple Leafs to make the call, and while he was held pointless, he certainly made an impact.
Grebenkin wasn’t necessarily known for his physical play coming over from Russia, but he possesses that sort of reckless abandon and intense playstyle that drives him to throw his weight around whenever the opportunity arrives.
Upon returning to the Marlies after a seven-game stretch in the NHL, he struggled initially, going pointless for nine games after scoring in his return contest. But he did eventually pick up the pace, and finished strong with 21 points in his final 27 regular season games, with 7 in 11 coming after he joined the Phantoms in mid-March.
He continued to put up good numbers throughout the Phantoms brief playoff journey, scoring once against the rock-solid Hershey Bears, to go along with two other apples throughout the five-game series.
What are we expecting from Grebenkin this season? What should we be looking for from him?
Grebenkin’s sights will be set on an NHL job from the start of this upcoming season, especially after the Laughton trade freed him from the logjam that is the Maple Leafs’ bottom six. And while finding his way onto the Flyers won’t be a cake walk, his playstyle may give him an upper hand. He’s proven himself willing to work his tail off, and use his stout 6 ‘2, 209-pound frame to pry pucks out of the corner and make moves either behind the net, or into the center of the ice.
That sort of dogged work, combined with his slick hands and offensive skillset, makes him the sort of bottom-six prospect that you could see being able to play up and down the lineup. He can be the puck retriever on a 2nd or 3rd line, or if he sticks around on the fourth line which is more likely to happen this season, he could be capable of taking the puck and entering the zone with speed and control. He would bring a dimension to the Flyers’ 4th line that names like Hathaway and Deslauriers and Abols just cannot replicate at the same rate.
If Grebenkin does fall short of his NHL goals out of the gate, he should be counted on to be one of the more dangerous offensive options in Lehigh Valley, and look like the aggressive puck hound he can be, without getting discouraged. He will play NHL games this year, it’ll just be up to him how early it happens.
How does Grebenkin fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?
Grebenkin being 22 is near perfect for the Flyers development path, as he enters the prospect ranks with a lot of seasoning, and real experience playing against grown men for extended periods. In two years, when hopefully this team is making some real noise in the playoffs, Grebenkin will be entering his prime, and should find a role as a potential bottom-six option. He is a young, big bodied winger, and after the draft the Flyers just had where they prioritized big frames at every position, there’s a good chance that someone like Grebenkin will be looked upon favorably by the organization’s decision makers.
But there is more here than just a physical presence, and if he can tap into some more of that direct offensive prowess more consistently, there’s a chance that a true middle-six force is hidden in there somewhere just waiting to break out.
For that reason, as long as the two parties continue to see eye-to-eye, I see no reason why Grebenkin shouldn’t stick around.
What do we think Grebenkin’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?
Currently, it’s fair to say that he has a pretty high floor, with a pretty low ceiling. The offensive game is rounding into form quite well, and in the AHL you could easily see how with some more seasoning and development, Grebenkin could turn into a productive NHLer. Will he ever really be expected to score 30 goals or 80 points? Probably not, but he does have the ability to score in bunches, and while that may not be enough for him to transition into the top-six at the next level, it is more than fine for a bottom-six piece.
Adding to that profile is his physical presence, an aspect of his game that has grown every year of his professional career, and shows no signs of slowing down as he learns how to more properly utilise his body to his advantage. A lot of Grebenkin’s issues can be chalked up to being young and over-active, sometimes not knowing how to regulate his decision making and just live to see another day, instead of always trying for the hail mary play. That sort of risk management can be coached, and the effort and dedication is there. If Grebenkin can continue to keep that fire burning, he could evolve into something resembling Vasili Podkolzin or Maxim Tysplakov; middle-six Russian forwards with some snarl and scoring touch.
Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:
