Panthers Sign Grigori Denisenko

The Florida Panthers have signed 2018, 15th-overall pick Grigori Denisenko to a three-year, entry-level contract. This is a huge step forward for the Panthers.

Who Is Grigori Denisenko?

In 38 KHL games this season, Denisenko acquired 6 goals and 6 assists. Those point totals do not jump off the page as anything to be particularly excited about, however it is important to view them in proper context. Denisenko was Lokomotiv’s 11th-ranked forward in terms of ice time. The KHL has a tendency to favor veteran players over younger players in terms of on-ice usage. To that end, his 12 points in 38 games was only behind SKA St. Petersburg’s Kirill Marchenko for points by an Under-20 player in the KHL.

Denisenko is an exceptional offensive talent with an accurate, high-velocity shot. In back-to-back seasons at the World Junior Championships, he was Russia’s leading scorer and one of the top point producers in the tournament. His speed, lateral movement and edgework are all at a level that would be expected of a future top-six NHL forward. He’s also an accomplished playmaker with good hockey IQ and strong on-ice leadership capabilities.

Mike Hoffman, Evgeni Dadonov and Erik Haula are all unrestricted free agents. Salary cap concerns may see the Panthers losing one or more of these players to free agency. Having Denisenko in North America gives the Panthers hope that he could fill a forward role for them as soon as 2020-21. Combine this some of their other young forward prospects and the Panthers’ short-term future outlook is looking bright.