An excerpt from Hockeybuzz.com (Howard Berger):
It isn’t known whether 24-year-old Mikhail Grabovski was part of the compensation agreement between the Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens in the Mats Sundin sweepstakes, but neither does it matter anymore. Grabovski was rumored to be the player the Leafs would receive if the Habs had been able to sign Sundin before he became a free agent on Tuesday. That side-deal was consummated between Leafs’ GM Cliff Fletcher and his Montreal counterpart Bob Gainey at the NHL Draft meetings in Ottawa, but it failed to lure Sundin into a Canadiens’ jersey. The Maple Leafs decided they wanted Grabovski anyway, and Fletcher obtained him earlier this afternoon for prospect Greg Pateryn and a second-round pick in the 2010 Draft.
“We’ve had our eye on Grabovski for a long time,” Fletcher told me over the phone. “He’s a young player and when we talk about him, we talk in terms of potential. He has loads of talent and lots of dash and flash to his game. He’s an offensive centreman and particularly with the uncertainty surrounding [Sundin’s] future, Mikhail fits the criteria we’re looking for. He’s only 24, and he’s going to be an exciting hockey player. He’ll definitely be on our NHL roster next season.”
