Grushnikov's Defensive Prowess in Wranglers

0:00It's March 9th, here's your Calgary Flames News in two minutes. Ardom Greshnikov joined the Calgary Wranglers midway through the 2023-24 season as part of a trade that sent Chris Tanaev to. Dallas. Before that, he's been most of his time with the Texas Stars in the American Hockey League. Since arriving, the 20-year-old left shot defenseman has played in the final 20 regular season games last year and stuck around for this. Season's development push. He's a steady defensive player who focuses on clearing space for his teammates rather than racking up points himself. Greshnikov battles hard along the boards and holds up well physically, even against bigger opponents. Lately, he's brought back some of that junior level physicality with a massive hit in a home game against the Abysford Canucks that had fans buzzing. In interviews, he's talked about adapting his game from junior hockey where big hip checks were his signature move. To the faster A.H.L. pace, he tried them early on, but learned to pick his spots better.

1:02Still, he sees value in wrapping up those hits, and knows he can improve offensively too. Even if his stats show just one assist in 49 games. This year, Greshnikov rotates in and out of the lineup, often pairing with Danil Miramanov or others like Gavin White when he's in the top six. He also fills in as the extra defenseman or gives breaks to teammates like Etienne Morin. Scoring remains low, with career highs of six points in his rookie year after solid junior numbers in the Ontario Hockey League. With his entry level deal ending this summer, he'll become a restricted free agent. That gives him up to 15 more games to impress the flames organization and make a strong case for his next contract. This episode is proudly sponsored by our partner. Comfort, you can hear, sound you can relax into, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillo.com.