Vincent Trocheck’s untimely injury has done more than just give Nick Bjugstad a fresh start on the 2nd line, it also opened an opportunity for someone from Portland to make a statement. That opportunity will go to Rocco Grimaldi.
The timing is apt here at The Sunshine Skate, as Whyhockey broke down the Panthers depth chart for 2016-17 yesterday. Some time was spent discussing Rocco’s spot on the team (you should totally read the whole article though):
“… Unfortunately for Rocco, the spot probably still isn’t there. Grimaldi is scoring at a 0.64 points per game rate, matching his scoring rate in the AHL last year. The good news is the split this year is much more favorable for goals, rather than assists. However, I get that gut feeling Rocco is trade bait. It’s just a question of when the fish takes the worm.”
This is a critical juncture for Grimaldi in his NHL career, regardless of the likelihood that he gets dealt soon or not. Rocco will need to turn in a seriously impressive run to build some forward momentum for himself. Its not that he has not tried. On the contrary, one of the things that really stands out about him is the energy he brings every shift. His effort level is very apparent. However, when you’re 5’6” you need more than effort and drive, you need a sharp skillset that can help you survive in a league where the average player has about 7” in height on you.
That is where the question lies. He has scored just three points in 21 career games thus far. His underlying numbers are okay, with a CF% at 50.7%, and an iCF of 11.6. However, if you count only his 14 games this season, the CF% falls to 46.85 and iCF to 9.5. Some of that could be influenced by the Panthers general difficulty in generating shots earlier this season when Grimaldi was around.
Now, of course, the big thing to remember here is that we are talking about a very small sample. It is entirely plausible that Grimaldi could turn it around. That would be awesome if he did. He will be setup for success too, as he will take Nick Bjugstad’s spot at center on the third line. That means he gets to work with Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler. I think it is safe to say that is a big improvement over having Dave Bolland on your line. However, he will likely need to start distinguishing himself in some way if he wishes to trudge forward in the NHL.
Injuries are never fun to have on the team, but they sure can open up some interesting situations. Best of luck to Rocco in this latest NHL stint.
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