Grabovski Waived

[EDI-Flyer]

The Toronto Maple Leafs are poised to buy outMikhail Grabovski after putting the veteran forward on unconditional waivers Thursday.

The buyout will make Grabovski an unrestricted free agent as of Friday at noon ET. The Leafs have already used their other non-compliance buyout on defenceman Mike Komisarek.

Grabovski, 29, had four years remaining on his $27.5-million contract, which he signed in March 2012. Acquired in 2008 from Montreal, the Leafs had high hopes for Grabovski. But he struggled this season, recording just nine goals and seven assists in 48 games.

"This was not an easy decision to make as Mikhail made numerous contributions to our hockey club," Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said in a statement. "This is a roster move that will give us salary cap flexibility moving forward."

The move will free up $5.5 million of cap space for the Leafs.

In 367 career games, Grabovski has 94 goals and 123 assists.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=426933

It wasn't that long ago that they were offered a decent pick for him and turned it down. Now he costs them $14.6 million to buy out. Almost Homeresque in term, except Grabo didn't get a NMC

[jammer2]

@EDI-Flyer It's a little puzzling cause Grabo played a real nice defensive role in the playoffs. He did not live up to the offensive expectataions, so his salary was a bit high for the 3rd line checking role. This may mean the Leafs are caving into the Bozek's demands on 5 mill at 8 years.....that is crazy. One or both had to go so the Leafs could be in on the Clarkson, Horton types in UFA...maybe even Ribero. I see why they did it, but knowledgeabe Leaf fans are mad today....yes, that animal does exist....LOL!

[EDI-Flyer]

@jammer2

I agree re the offensive production, certainly last season anyway but in general he puts up reasonable numbers. That said if they are letting him go in order to pay Bozak 8 million a year then they do indeed need their heads examined. Or given a hefty slap, maybe both.

He is expensive at 5.5 but some other team is gonna pick up a good player for no outlay and pay him 3.5 to 4 million, which in my view is a reasonable price. No wonder the Leafs fans are pissed.

[jammer2]

@EDI-Flyer Grabo is a really hard to project going forward. He was a 30 goal guy just a few years ago, with a less talented roster to boot. The offense just left and never came back, maybe a fresh start was needed here.

[hf101]

@EDI-Flyer

I posted this tweet in the shoutbox.

@arcticicehockey 2h Grabovski has scored more goals than Kopitar, Richards, Duchene, Datsyuk, Lecavalier, Berglund, Bergeron, Seguin, Eberle over last 3 yrs.

There has to be more to this. Bozak isn't worth 8M a year. I think you are right though they must plan on signing other free agents.

[EDI-Flyer]

@arcticicehockey 2h Grabovski has scored more goals than Kopitar, Richards, Duchene, Datsyuk, Lecavalier, Berglund, Bergeron, Seguin, Eberle over last 3 yrs.

That is some good company to be keeping... Hopefully a change of scenery will do him good.

[EDI-Flyer]

This just in from TSN: All I can say is wow... He is really pissed, sounds like his relationship (or lack of) with Carlyle is what pushed him out the door. I still think he will go on to do well with another team.

Only hours after his five-year tenure in Toronto had come to an end,Mikhail Grabovski was still trying to sort out the emotions of what had just occurred.

"I'm [expletive] happy right now," he told TSN.ca exclusively early on Thursday evening, shortly after the Maple Leafs announced that they had exercised their second compliance buyout on the 29-year-old.

With the sting of the wound being realized, Grabovski changed tune considerably in a frustrating diatribe that took aim most poignantly at Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle.

"Of course I feel [expletive] sad," he continued in a lengthy conversation, minutes later, "I played [expletive] five years here. I'm supposed to feel upset about that. I loved it [here]. Toronto fans are one of the best fans in the world."

Grabovski finished a disappointing and altogether uninspired 2013 with poor numbers, compiling just nine goals and 16 points in 48 games, used almost exclusively in a checking role under Carlyle. While he performed with renewed fire and urgency in the playoffs, Grabovski ultimately finished goalless against the Bruins, adding just two assists in seven games.

Unwilling to rock the boat throughout the season, which saw the Leafs reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004, Grabovski kept silent, but held nothing back in his feelings toward Carlyle after ties with the organization were effectively cut.

"I play in the [expletive] Russian KHL, I make lots of [expletive] points and what's going to happen? He make me [expletive] play on the fourth line and he put me in the playoffs on the fourth line and third line again," Grabovski spewed. "Yeah, I don't score goals. I need to work more about that. I know that. But if you feel support from your coach [you'll find success]. I don't feel any support from this [expletive] idiot."

Grabovski found a favourite in Ron Wilson, from whom Carlyle took over in the latter stages of the 2011-2012 season, scoring 20 goals three times upon being acquired from Montreal. Inked to a hefty five-year, $27.5 million extension just three days after Wilson was fired in March of 2012, Grabovski never found a similar connection or rapport with Carlyle.

Communication – or lack thereof – was in some ways at the crux of the matter. Grabovski and the head coach rarely spoke, most of the conversation instead streaming through assistant coaches Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon.

"Wilson [expletive] pushed me same hard as this," Grabovski said, months of frustration finally bubbling to the surface, "but don't be an [expletive] with me. If you don't like something tell [expletive] right away, don't put me on the bench, healthy scratch [me] or something. Don't put me on a [expletive] third line and then [expletive] play me six minutes in a game."

Due to be married to his long-time girlfriend on Friday, the news unquestionably took Grabovski by surprise. Initially he called the buyout – which will offer the Leafs a boost in cap space with free agency looming on Friday – a "good present" from the organization and looked ahead to the opportunity he would find elsewhere.

He added that he'd find motivation from the dismissal, just as he had upon being traded from the Canadiens five years – almost to the day – earlier.

"People always in life motivate me," he said.

According to Leafs general manager Dave Nonis, the Leafs desired "cap flexibility" in parting ways with Grabovski and ultimately they chose that flexibility – be it with Tyler Bozak, Stephen Weiss or whomover they manage to acquire – over Grabovski. After buying out Mike Komisarek a day earlier, the organization projects to have upwards of $24 million available heading into free agency period, though they have the likes ofNazem Kadri, Cody Franson, Carl Gunnarsson, Jonathan Bernier andMark Fraser still to sign.

Grabovski spent the early months of the most recent lockout in the KHL with CKSA Moscow and wouldn't rule out the league as an option for his next opportunity, though there figures to be NHL interest with a dearth of quality centremen available.

"I need to work harder," he concluded, taking time to thank his teammates, equipment managers and fans, "I need to be smarter, I need to play harder, need to play better and score a lot of goals and do what I do the best.

Edited July 5, 2013 by EDI-Flyer

[jammer2]

@EDI-Flyer Very nice find...love the real emotion coming out of Grabo. The truth of the matter is, Caryle and Nonis set him up to fail, put him with checking linemates and THEN berated him for not scoring. He deserved better. Look for the Wings to be on him, it will be a realistic cap hit with a decent contract length...and he plays in all 3 zones aggressively. This has the Wings written all over it, hustle, loyality and a nice cap hit.

[EDI-Flyer]

@jammer2 I could also see him ending up in Dallas too. They signed Gonchar and hopefully have Nichushkin coming onto their team too. Jim Nill has made some nice moves IMO, and he has the experience with the Wings to appreciate a guy like this.

[jammer2]

@EDI-Flyer Yeah, I could see the Nill lead Stars being in on this also. Where ever he lands, expect the goals to come back, the Leafs had it in for this guy, who did nothing but compete hard every night. Nonis has proven to me he's not a smart hockey guy. He's leached on to Burke's coat tails, the only real reason he has his job. The Leafs have won dispite Nonis, not because of him.

[flyercanuck]

One year into a five year deal?!? And the guy is getting married today.....IN TORONTO! That should go over well.

[hf101]

And the guy is getting married today.....IN TORONTO! That should go over well.

I'll assume Nonis wasn't invited.

[flyercanuck]

@hf101

LOL. I guess not. Burke should be though, for signing him to that.

[jammer2]

I really think Caryle is the driving force behind this. He seems to have a lot of influence in the roster moves. He had it out for Grabo from day 1. He might have made a bit to much, but when he signed, his previous year he had 30 goals. The Grabo, Kluminen and McCarther line was solid, broke them up for no real reason. Now 2 of the 3 are gone and I think it was not great asset management by the Leafs. I think Grabo goes on to be a productive player, ditto for McCarther who is now a Sen, playing against the Leafs 6 times a year....good luck with that....ha ha.

[Commander Clueless]

I really think Caryle is the driving force behind this. He seems to have a lot of influence in the roster moves. He had it out for Grabo from day 1. He might have made a bit to much, but when he signed, his previous year he had 30 goals. The Grabo, Kluminen and McCarther line was solid, broke them up for no real reason. Now 2 of the 3 are gone and I think it was not great asset management by the Leafs. I think Grabo goes on to be a productive player, ditto for McCarther who is now a Sen, playing against the Leafs 6 times a year....good luck with that....ha ha.

I agree with most of this. Grabovski and MacArthur were solid players for the Leafs before this past season but it's obvious Carlyle was not a big fan of either of them.

With the emergence of Kadri and Bozak stapled to Kessel's line, Grabovski got saddled with Carlyle's shutdown line role. While Grabo is certainly defensively responsible, this is not the type of role he excels at. Carlyle/Nonis likely also wanted to beef up so replacing Grabovski and MacArthur with Bolland and Clarkson would seem to fit that mold.

We'll see what the end result is I guess, but I hope that this doesn't come back to bite the Leafs.

I for one will miss Grabovski, even if his results never really matched up to the amount of effort he put in. That was sort of his appeal.

I imagine some team will pick him up and be thrilled with what they get.