Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikita Grebenkin revealed that he could sense that he would be dealt before the trade deadline.

The Russian winger is in the midst of his first season in North America and had been splitting time between the Leafs and Marlies. He showed promise as an energy forward with attributes best suited for the playoffs, but those skills won’t be realized in Toronto as Grebenkin was part of the package that went to the Philadephia Flyers to land the Leafs Scott Laughton.

In an interview with RG, Grebenkin spoke about his first experience being traded.

“I knew I could be traded. I wasn’t completely sure, but there were signs,” Grebenkin said to RG Media’s Sergey Demidov via translation. “Toronto has so many players in both the NHL and AHL. In recent years, they’ve been pushing hard for the Stanley Cup and relying more on experienced players rather than young guys like me.”

He is not wrong in that a contending team like the Leafs tend to prioritize more established players given their window to compete for the Stanley Cup is right now. While having younger players can certainly help, that only applies if they are ready immediately and not in need of seasoning because otherwise, they are more likely to be used as trade chips to get the players they require.

While GM Brad Treliving is not privy to the emotional side of the trade deadline, he understood that you have to give to get and that meant saying goodbye to Grebenkin.

“That is the tough part about today. You have to, in some cases, say goodbye to real good people,” he said to reporters after the trade deadline. “Nikita’s personality sort of captured everybody there. I said to him, ‘More backcheck, and there’ll be a greater paycheque.'”

Grebenkin ultimately got into seven NHL games with the Leafs where he went scoreless in that span, along with 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) in 39 AHL games played. While his tenure in the Leafs organization ended up being a lot shorter than initially expected, he has nothing but positive things to say about his time in Toronto.

He is grateful for the experience and what he learned, which he hopes to apply to the Flyers who are excited to have him in the fold. Grebenkin was also quick to point out the likes of William Nylander, Max Domi, and Ryan Reaves who took the time to help him feel comfortable and give him advice on how to adjust to the lifestyle on and off the ice.

“They helped me with communication and spent a lot of time with me at the start of the season. They understood that it wasn’t easy for me and supported me,” he said. “I now understand what kind of league it is. I can dominate here and play at a good level. The beginning of the season was tough, but things have changed now.”

He is currently training in Toronto on his own as he awaits getting a work visa before he is cleared to join the Leigh High Valley Phantoms, the Flyers AHL affiliate. GM Daniel Briere said on Leafs Morning Take that the expectation is for Grebenkin to spend the majority of the final stretch with the Phantoms but there is a chance he could get into NHL games before the season wraps up.

Regardless of how things go for him, one thing Grebenkin made clear is that he wants to be known as more than just a guy who had a funny phrase of ‘Backcheck, forecheck, and paycheque’ after finishing up his NHL debut.

“It’s a little frustrating that people know me more for that line than for my actual game,” he said. “I’d rather be recognized for my play than for jokes.”