Two games down, three to go.
From the sounds of Lindy Ruff's morning interview on the Howard Simon Show, the Sabres plan on keeping Mikhail Grigorenko past the five game deadline.
I think if they do keep him up after the five games, it's a good idea for a couple reasons.
1. Grigorenko would get the experience
2. He's an automatic upgrade over McCormick
3. What do the Sabres have to lose?
While Grigorenko hasn't got on the scoresheet, I'm not worried about him. I wasn't expecting him to tear it up in the NHL, at least not in his first season.
He's not getting much playing time because of the line he is on, but he's played decent hockey in the first two games. He did make a mistake by not clearing the zone, which almost resulted in a goal, but other than that, he has been fine.
If Grigorenko can play decent hockey now on his line, then he should be even better if/when moved up on the depth chart. Especially if injuries occur, it'd be nice to have Grigorenko ready to give it a shot and move up a line or two.
Grigorenko has played 24 minutes this season and has a -1 rating with two shots. His faceoff percentage is over 50 percent this season as well.
Keeping him up for the entire season would be beneficial for him and the team. Grigorenko could use the experience, and even if he turns out to be a bust or have a horrible season, it's only 48 games.
I'll say that Grigorenko looked less comfortable last night than in Sunday's game, but it's his first NHL experience. I'm willing to give him some time and I think he will improve as the season goes on.
It's a shortened season, so why not take the gamble? Plus, the Sabres are 2-0 with him in the lineup. You have to keep him up now, don't you?
What happens if the Sabres send him down, and then end up missing the playoffs by a few points? What if Grigorenko becomes an impact and help the Sabres into the postseason. With the disappointing season we had last year, I think it's worth it to keep him up.
Buffalo Sabres Blogger • 
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