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By Mike Harrington
The Buffalo Sabres' roster is set for Sunday's season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers, and General Manager Darcy Regier confirmed today that 18-year-old center Mikhail Grigorenko will be a part of it.
Grigorenko, the Russian who was Buffalo's top draft choice last June and a star of this year's World Junior Championships in his native country, will get his five-game junior tryout. After that, the Sabres keep him and his entry-level contract kicks in or he'll return to junior play with the Quebec Ramparts, where he had 29 goals and 50 points in 30 games.
Regier would only commit to Grigorenko being on the roster, saying it was a "coach's decision" if he would play. But there were plenty of smirks in the room with Lindy Ruff standing nearby. Grigorenko is centering Steve Ott and Ville Leino on Sunday, just as he has all week.
"I think we should keep him around little longer and then the coach will have to decide if he's going to play him a lot," Regier said.
