pavel datsyuk said:
Why yes i do...
http://www.allsports.com/nhl/redwings/stories/2005_05/30_Grigorenko.html
he'll be playing in russia. If you're interested, look up the "prospect reports". The back in early april/late march talk about his game.
Detroit has a scout over there a lot to watch him and see how he's doing. They said by the beginning of this year he should be top form and progressing.
Remember, before the accident, he was ready to come over and play on the top 2 lines.
I think you're overplaying how ready Grigorenko really was.
There was hope that he could come over and contribute immediately, like Datsyuk and Zetterberg had done in the previous years.
And Grigorenko had shown great skill in the WJCs, World Championships and with Togliatti.
However, there is no guarantee that he'd have made the Wings out of camp, let alone played on the top two lines.
I still have worries about his legs (wasn't his shin absolutely shattered?) And I worry that he came back too soon (he came back far earlier than anyone expected, only to find out that surgeons had put the wrong sized rod in his leg, which caused even more problems).
Still, last season was a great sign. The kid has a ton of heart. He's made it back this far, which is amazing. I've heard good things about his recovery. He still has good puck skills.
But what I haven't heard are reports about his speed/agility/balance/strength.
If you remember, Scotty Bowman once called him a power forward, which shocked people because he's only 5-11. But was strong on his skates and fast.
He'll need to regain those assets before coming to North America.
I would be completely shocked if he played in Detroit or Grand Rapids next season.
This next season in Russia will be telling.