Artem Grushnikov, despite an eye-opening performance at Calgary Flames’ training camp, will continue to wait for his NHL debut.
The 21-year-old defenceman was assigned to the AHL’s Wranglers during Tuesday’s round of roster cuts. The Flames also demoted fellow blue-liner Yan Kuznetsov and goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew.
None of those three required waivers to be sent to the minors.
Grushnikov, who was acquired last winter as part of the Chris Tanev trade, earned plenty of praise for his work at camp and in three pre-season appearances.
The Flames believe he has a bright future ahead as a stay-at-home sort and a key piece on the penalty-kill. He should log big minutes for the Wranglers as he pushes for his first call-up.
“(Grushnikov) is really dialled in to how he has to play at a higher level in the NHL,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska last week. “He trusts his feet right now, so he really tries to play tight gaps. He tries to be a hard guy to play against.
“Even when you watch him in practice, our players are like, ‘Why is this guy always in my face?’ It’s something that we love to see.”
You could see him skate a solo lap sometime this season, but there ultimately isn’t a spot just yet, especially with Kevin Bahl and Jake Bean now up-and-running after brief injury absences.
“Every small detail is really important here,” Grushnikov told Postmedia earlier this week when asked what he’d learned in his exhibition outings. “Every second, you should be in focus and you need to stay neutral, I would say, because it’s really emotional when it’s a big crowd and a big game.”
The Flames now have 35 players remaining in camp — 21 forwards, 11 defencemen and three goalies. That list includes the still-unsigned Tyson Barrie, a veteran rearguard who is attending on a professional tryout.
“We have a lot of big decisions — goaltending, defence and up front,” Huska said after Tuesday’s practice. “And that’s a good problem to have.”
It seems likely that Ilya Solovyov will soon be headed back to the Wranglers. The 24-year-old blue-liner was on the waiver wire Tuesday.