Puck Prospectus: Russian Prospects, Evgeny Grachev
I’m sorry to put Grachev at the bottom, but he deserves to stay there. He had a disappointing season in the AHL and it showed that he’s not ready yet. Maybe he should have stayed in Russia one year more even if he didn’t have a chance to play at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which was run by Coach Kari Heikkila, who is known for not playing youngsters. He also doesn’t have the same level of technique and skating of Avtsin and Petrov, even if he might have an edge in size.
Alex Seren Rosso
So many people are down on Grachev. It was only one year ago that he was looked at as a star in the making after going 40-40 and now he is a problem. Yes, he did disappoint a little in Hartford but it’s another adjustment to make. If he struggles this season, that may be something else, but he still so young.
