Mikhail Grigorenko’s short stint in the NHL has come to an end (for now).
The 23-year-old will continue his career in the KHL, as he’s signed a three-year deal with CSKA Moscow.
Grigorenko was selected in the first round, 12th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He was then traded from the Sabres to the Avalanche as part of a package for Ryan O’Reilly.
Unfortunately for Colorado, he was never able to establish himself as a dominant offensive weapon. In 217 career games, the Russian center put up just 22 goals and 64 points in 217 games.
In 2016-17, he scored 10 goals and 13 assists while averaging 14:05 of ice time in 75 games with the lowly Avalanche.
Late last month, the Avs decided not to give him a qualifying offer, which is why he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
Grigorenko finally signs with CSKA. Unlike draft buddy Yakupov, he knows quite well his NHL career is over, so he just took the money. #Avs
— Slava Malamud 🇺🇦 (@SlavaMalamud) July 7, 2017
Grigorenko becomes the second NHLer to sign with CSKA Moscow in two days. Former Lightning and Canadiens defenseman Nikita Nesterov joined them on Thursday.