Blue Jackets sign forward Mikhail Grigorenko to one-year contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Mikhail Grigorenko to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 National Hockey League season, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.

Grigorenko, 25, recorded 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points with 30 penalty minutes in 217 career NHL games with the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres from 2012-17. He set career highs in goals, penalty minutes and games played with 10-13-23 and 18 penalty minutes in 75 games in his most recent NHL campaign with Colorado in 2016-17. In 2015-16, he set career highs in assists, points and plus/minus with 6-21-27 and a +2 plus/minus rating in 74 outings with the Avalanche. Selected by Buffalo in the first round, 12th overall, at the 2012 NHL Draft, Grigorenko made his NHL debut during the 2012-13 campaign and collected 1-4-5 in 25 appearances with the club.

The Khabarovsk, Russia native has spent the past three seasons with CSKA in the Kontinental Hockey League, combining for 46-70-116, 28 penalty minutes and a +64 plus/minus rating in 147 games from 2017-20. He finished second on CSKA in goals and fourth in assists and points in 2019-20 with 19-22-41, four penalty minutes and was +16 in 47 outings. In 2018-19 he was named to the KHL First All-Star Team after leading CSKA in assists and points, while finishing eighth-T in the league in assists and 10th-T in points with 17-35-52, 10 penalty minutes and a +33 plus/minus rating in 55 regular season contests. He also led the club to the 2019 Gagarin Cup championship after leading the KHL in playoff goals and points with 13-8-21 in 20 games.

The 6-3, 190-pound forward has added 14-26-40 and 27 penalty minutes in 52 career American Hockey League contests with the Rochester Americans from 2012-15. He played junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, racking up 85-93-178 and 26 penalty minutes in 115 career contests from 2011-14. He captured the Canadian Hockey League and QMJHL Rookie of the Year awards, QMJHL Offensive Rookie of the Year (Michel Bergeron Trophy) and QMJHL Best Professional Prospect (Mike Bossy Trophy) honors in 2011-12 after leading QMJHL rookies in goals and points with 40-45-85 in 59 outings.

Grigorenko has represented Russia at numerous international tournaments. He helped the Olympic Athletes of Russia capture gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea with 1-3-4 in six games. He has also represented his country at the 2018 and 2019 (bronze) IIHF World Championships, 2012 (silver), 2013 (bronze) and 2014 (bronze) IIHF World Junior Championships as well as the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships (bronze).