After securing deals with restricted free agents Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras in July, the Philadelphia Flyers continued their work by securing a 2-year contract with Nikita Grebenkin worth $1.1 million per season.
Grebenkin was acquired by the Flyers ahead of the trade deadline in 2025 as part of the Scott Laughton trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished the season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before making his Flyers debut this past year.
As a member of the Phantoms in 2024-25, Grebenkin notched 3 goals and 7 points in 11 regular season games, as well as a goal and 3 assists in 7 postseason contests. He finished that season with 12 goals and 28 points in 50 regular season contests, including his time with the Toronto Marlies.
Injuries derailed his 2025-26 campaign, but the Russian notched 4 goals and 14 points in 55 games with the Flyers to go along with 46 PIM, 32 shots, 86 hits, and 17 blocked shots.
Grebenkin suffered an upper-body injury in late March in a game against the San Jose Sharks. He missed the final 20 games of the regular season and he did not feature in the playoffs.
The 23-year-old will look to reclaim his roster spot with the Flyers this year, although it might not be a foregone conclusion with the depth they possess along the wings. The acquisition of Noel Acciari takes away at least one spot in the bottom-six, so look for Grebenkin to battle things out with Denver Barkey and Alex Bump.
Nevertheless, Grebenkin projects to be a key forward down the line for the Flyers due to his ability to score and finish checks. In 120 career games in the KHL, he notched 28 goals and 67 points, which is something the Flyers are hoping he can bring to the NHL on a consistent basis.
