Grachev Is "Businesslike"

Jeff Jacobs from the Hartford Courant chimes in on Rangers prospect Evgeny Grachev, who's down in Hartford with the Wolfpack working on his game and going about not making the Rangers out of preseason as a tool to motivate him to work hard. If you'd like to check out the full article click here

"Some of the bigger kids at this age are still gangly, but Evgeny is pretty strong right now," Gernander said. "He's a good skater. He has a good shot and decent hands. Sometimes you get a guy with a glaring weakness. There is none. He's just young. He needs experience. It's a big jump from junior to NHL, but he's knocking at the door."

And Grachev's take?



"My decision-making could be faster with the puck. Maybe get a little bit faster and stronger, too. The last two [Rangers exhibition] games I played like eight minutes per game. I was thinking they'd send me down. It wasn't good to hear, but I wasn't too upset. I'll keep working and I'll get called up one day."

My Thoughts:

...It's nice to see Grachev take his demotion in stride. Some prospects might have gotten down on themselves and lost their confidence but not this kid. It's the best for his development that he's down in Hartford, gaining valuable ice-time and experience rather than riding the pine up with the Rangers. He'll be one of the first, if not the first, call-up from Hartford.