If you want to know the playbook for getting on the good side of the Maple Leafs fanbase, there are three things you can do. Nikita Grebenkin is wasting no time endearing himself to Toronto Maple Leafs fans, and while the offence hasn’t come yet, he’s brought plenty of options #2 and #3 to the table so far.

A fifth-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2022, Grebenkin took rapid steps forward in his first two seasons after the draft and was rewarded with an entry-level contract following his sophomore season in the KHL, Russia’s top pro league. He immediately understood the assignment, dropping the gloves in his first preseason tilt against the Ottawa Senators and throwing his hands in the air to rile up the crowd on his way to the box. After he started strong with the Toronto Marlies, he earned a call-up following the barrage of injuries to their forward group. Since he’s been called up, he’s brought energy, physicality, and a few great soundbites from the media.

First, it was “backcheck, forecheck, paycheque”. Then, after applying that mantra in the dying seconds of the Maple Leafs’ 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks by laying a hit on defenceman Wyatt Kaiser, he somehow upped his quote game from last time.

“Last second, game not done,” Grebenkin told reporters after the game via Postmedia’s Terry Koshan. “I play, you play. Don’t stop. Don’t relax. You play NHL. You understand. “I kill you, you kill me. It’s business. No problem.”

“I kill you, you kill me, it’s business, no problem.” needs to be printed on a shirt.

Grebenkin may not stick around the Maple Leafs for the rest of the season, and that’s okay. The fact that he was given more of a look with the team than older and more experienced players such as Alex Nylander and Alex Steeves goes to show that the Maple Leafs like what they see in Grebenkin and plan to use him down the line. But, as the team’s forward group continues to get healthier and players like Max Domi, Bobby McMann, and Max Pacioretty get healthy, they simply won’t have the space for him.

The Maple Leafs will look to keep the good times rolling when host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night, having won five of their last six games and nine of their last 11.