Grachev, currently with the Brampton Battalion of the OHL, was the Rangers 3rd round pick, #75 overall, in the 2008 NHL draft. His stock is quickly growing, due to his outstanding play with the Battalion (39 GP, 27 G, 26 A, 53 Pts, OHL rookie of the month in November), and he currently sits in the top 5 Rangers prospects (as per HockeysFuture). Grachev, just 18 years old, and is listed at 6’2, 202 lbs (though probably more like 6’4 and 215), so he, unlike Artem Anisimov, has already filled out his big frame.

Grachev uses his size to his advantage, and this is where he differs from Anisimov. While Anisimov has not yet filled out his frame to be a dominating physical force, Grachev has, and he has demonstrated this during his time on the Russian U18 team last year. He excels at driving to the net and banging home rebounds, something that this current Rangers team could learn a lot from. For a big guy, Grachev is still a strong skater with an above average shot and decent puck handling skills.

The biggest concern around Grachev is his quickness. Last year, while playing for the Russian U18 team, his slower feet and decision making skills were exploited by the Canadian team. The young Russian will need to work on getting faster and quicker if he wants to have a long and successful career in the NHL. He is also developing a presence in the face-off circle, but has a long way to go.

The potential for Grachev is right up there with Anisimov, as the two are being talked about as one in the same. If he develops his foot speed and his face off prowess, then you could be looking at a #1 center in the best case scenario, and a top-six forward for those who are going with the conservative take.

The center position looks very strong down the road for the Rangers, and they may soon have the tough decision of who to shift to wing. Currently they have Gomez, Drury, Dubinsky and Betts lining up at center, with Anisimov knocking on the door and Grachev right behind him. Things are looking good down the middle.

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