With the No. 12 pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, the Buffalo Sabres have selected Mikhail Grigorenko, a center from the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
A native of Khabarovsk, Russia, Grigorenko was ranked third among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and No. 12 by TSN, though an argument could be made that his lower rank is due to being a native of Russia, which always attracts a stigma that a player might be more inclined to stay in the Kontinental Hockey League. He came to the Remparts to play major junior this season, however, and promptly led all QMJHL rookies with 40 goals and 85 points for Patrick Roy’s team, while scoring five points (two goals, three assists) for Russia’s silver medal-winning World Junior Championship team.
Grigorenko has, as statistics clearly show, a solid offensive game and clutch credentials, finishing third in the QMJHL with eight game winning goals this season.