PUBLICATION
Tom Banks
July 20, 2025Â Â (9:25 PM)
Photo credit: The Hockey News
Grigori Denisenko was once a top-15 pick in the NHL Draft, and now, the talented forward appears set to depart the NHL after a lack of opportunities.
The Vegas Golden Knights have one of the deepest forward groups in the NHL, but after some departures this off-season, the thought was that there could potentially be spots available for young players in the organization.
One player that could have benefitted is winger Grigori Denisenko, a player that was once the No. 15 overall pick in the NHL Draft back in 2018, but after being acquired by Vegas, he’s played in just 7 games with them at the NHL level.
In that time, he’s failed to record a point, but with 24 points in 42 AHL games with the Henderson Silver Knights, there was still belief that he could be a consistent NHLer in the near future, despite being 25-years of age and struggling to make an impact at the top level.
Recent reports have now revealed that the former KHLer could be headed back to Russia this summer, with reporters noting that Lokomotiv Yaroslavl are pushing hard to land the former first-round pick.
He last played in the KHL with the team back in 2019/20 as a 20-year old, tallying 6 goals and 12 points in 38 games as he flashed the potential that convinced the Florida Panthers to draft him with the No. 15 overall selection.
Ultimately, despite having solid size at 5-foot-11 and plenty of skill, that simply never translated to success in North America, and now, it looks like his potential career in the NHL may be over as he looks for a change of scenery by shifting back to his home country in Russia.
Previously on HouseOfHockey
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Golden Knights Top-15 Pick on the Verge of Abandoning the Team and Signing Overseas, Per Insider
Will Grigori Denisenko ever play in the NHL again?