Grabo Stayin' Put

Brian Burke announced today that he had resigned the 28 year old Belarussian center, Mikhail Grabovski to a 5 year deal worth 27.5 million dollars. The cap hit of this contract is at 5.5 million dollars a season.

Burke knows the free agency market for centers for this upcoming off-season is really shallow making it necessary that Grabo was resigned. The team has had struggles over the past few years down the middle but the future may be looking better in the center position with Grabo, Tyler Bozak, Tim Connolly, Matt Lombardi, David Steckel and prospect Joe Colborne. That center lineup doesn't have a "star" as many teams have but they can do the job for sure.        Grabo will lead that core into the future. 

Leafs GM Brian Burke said earlier today in a statement, "He leads by example and his work ethic speaks for itself."

This season, Grabo has 20 goals and 25 assists in 59 games and has a team best plus/minus rating of +7. Last year Grabovksi had his best season in the NHL with 29 goals and 29 assists for 58 points. 

Grabovski will become the second highest paid current player on the Leafs once his contract kicks in after this season is over. He will now make 100,000 dollars more than Kessel and he only makes less than Dion Phaneuf who has a contract worth 6.5 million dollars a year.

Burke will now work on contract negotiations with restricted free agents; LW Nikolai Kulemin, RW Matt Frattin and D Cody Franson. Burke also has Jonas Gustavsson to talk with who becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.