It didn’t take long for Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois to start working on his offseason to-do list. On Monday, the Lightning announced that they had signed prospect Maxim Groshev to a three-year, entry-level contract. Groshev, who turned 21-years-old last December, was the Lightning’s third-round draft pick in 2020.
Last season Groshev split his time between SKA-Neva St. Petersburg in the VHL where he put up 9 goals and 9 assists in 22 games and SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL where he had 4 goals and 2 assists in 34 games. He was part of Russia’s U20 squads in both 2019-20 and 2020-21 for the World Junior Championships and recorded 2 assists in 14 games.
For the past three seasons we have had him ranked at the 15th spot in our annual Top 25 Under 25 players in the Lightning organization. While it seems his development has stalled a bit since being drafted, as Igor pointed out, that could be a result of playing for an organization that has been stockpiling young talent.
“After the years when SKA was one of the most dominant teams in the league, attracting the biggest available stars, the organization has suddenly changed their strategy and are now focusing on acquiring the most talented younger players in the KHL. Their bench became too big to keep everyone on the squad and Groshev, unlike his teammate and number 23 in our ranking Daniil Pylenkov, hadn’t made the cut and was sent to lower leagues.”
With some departures expected along the Lightning’s forward ranks, Groshev is likely to get a good look at training camp. If he doesn’t make the Tampa Bay roster, he should get a good look as part of the top-six for the Syracuse Crunch, who will be facing their own attention over the summer.
As for his skillset. Groshev probably isn’t going to be a huge goal scorer, but with decent wheels and a large frame (6’2”, 194 lbs) he could be an effective middle-six forward that provides a strong forecheck. He uses his size pretty well to shield other players off the puck and can bully his way to the front of the net as we see below:
🚨 HIGHLIGHT REEL 🚨
Maxim Groshev (#28 in navy) absolutely taunts the defender and roofs it home for his 2nd goal of the game and his 9th of the VHL season! This man came to PLAY. Dmitry Ovechkin (‘99) and Vladislav Kurbatov (‘97) pick up the assists.
–@SKA_Neva pic.twitter.com/LJhEDSGZUt— Future Bolts (@LightningProsp1) February 18, 2023
With changes coming up front for the Lightning, Groshev is one of the forwards that might be able to take advantage of the openings. While he won’t likely be a prolific scorer he could be an excellent depth piece that helps grind out secondary scoring.
The official press release, compliments of the Tampa Bay Lightning:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Maxim Groshev to a three-year, entry-level contract vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Groshev, 21, was Tampa Bay’s third round selection (85th overall) in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He skated in 34 games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL during the 2022-23 season, recording four goals and six points. He also posted nine goals and 18 points in 22 games for SKA-Neva St. Petersburg of the VHL in 2022-23.
The left-handed shot Groshev has skated for the Russian U-20 team at the 2020 and 2021 World Junior Championships, posting a pair of assists in seven games in 2021.
