Draft: Denisenko Eager to Bring Dynamic Play to South Florida

DALLAS -Grigori Denisenko is going to have to get used to the heat.
With temperatures hovering around 100 degrees outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday night, the Florida Panthers managed to acquire one of Russia's hottest young talents, selecting the offensively-gifted Denisenko with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

"We are proud to select Grigori with the 15th overall pick," Panthers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Dale Tallon said. "He is an explosive forward with outstanding speed and dynamic offensive instincts."
Tallon dedicated the pick to the organization's first president William A. Torrey, who died in May at 83.
"Bill was not only a dear friend, but a father figure for me," Tallon said. "We talked every day, more than five or six times a day. A lot of them were butt dials because he didn't handle the phone very well. I loved the man. He was a classy guy. I've never met a finer gentleman than Bill. I really miss him, and I think the hockey world will miss him."
A human highlight reel with the puck on his stick, Denisenko spent most of this past season in the MHL, Russia's top junior league, recording 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in 31 games. In the playoffs, he potted five goals in 12 games to lead Loko Yaroslavl to a league championship.
On the international level, Denisenko was even better. He competed in various tournaments for the Russian National Junior Team, posting six goals and five assists this season. At just 17, he made KHL debut in the postseason, suiting up in four games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
"We were a little nervous," Tallon said. "We didn't think he'd get [to 15]. We like his dynamic ability, his energy and his skill. He plays aggressively and has really good speed. He gets to the scoring areas really well. He's not afraid to get his nose dirty."
When asked about if there are any current NHL players he models his game after, Denisenko, speaking through a translator, said that although he looks up to players like Chicago's Patrick Kane and Columbus' Artemi Panarin, he believes his own skillset and path should be unique.
"I want to be by myself," said Denisenko, who turns 18 on Sunday.
A native of Novosibirsk, Russia, Denisenko said he's actually been watching the Panthers from a distance for quite some time, keeping a close eye on the team's talented group of forwards with Russian backgrounds, like the top-line tandem of Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov.
"I know lot of Russian guys play over there, like Dadonov, [Maxim] Mamin, even Barkov and [Denis] Malgin, too," Denisenko said. "I follow them and know there are good players and I'm trying to [learn] something from them."
A right-handed shooter, Denisenko plays the left side, using his dynamic hands and playmaking abilities to dazzle on offense. He entered this year's draft as the seventh-best European skater on the NHL Central Scouting's final list, drawing praise for his speed, skill and high ceiling.
When asked about what skills he needs to work on, Denisenko's confidence shined through.
"There's no roof," he said. "Every side of the game. Physical, technical and mentally. Everything."
With two years left on his contract, Denisenko plans to return to Russia next season to compete in his first full season in the KHL. At 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, he has some room to grow both physically and on the defensive side of the puck -- a common problem for most new draftees.
But after navigating a balmy, unforgettable day in Dallas, he's yearning for the Florida sun.
"[Florida] will decide when he is ready, but he thinks he is ready for next year," said Panthers European scout Vadim Podrezov, who translated for Denisenko.