Is Michael Grabner Good Again?
Plenty of NHL players have good year or two and then disappear. They usually bounce around the league for a few years, then end up playing in Europe or the AHL. Very few of them are resurrected in the NHL. Michael Grabner seems to be an exception to this rule, because all of a sudden, it seems like he's good again.
Michael Grabner started his career as a Vancouver Canuck in 2009-2010, but only played 20 games. He became a household name though, in 2010-2011 with the New York Islanders. Grabner, in his first full NHL season, scored 34 goals and 52 points. He quickly became recognized around the NHL as a speed demon and shorthanded threat. Six of his goals came while shorthanded. It appeared that Grabner was going to be a star for a long time. Unfortunately, Grabner never replicated the success of his first season, and the next year he scored just 20 goals and 32 points. By 2012-2013, Grabner had settled into a third line role, rather than the first line goal scorer role he seemed destined for just two years earlier. He scored 16 goals in 2012-2013, 12 in 2013-2014, and 8 in 2014-2015. Grabner's career was headed nowhere but down as his goal totals plummeted.
The Islanders gave up on Grabner after the 2014-2015 season and traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a bunch of prospects. Grabner played 80 games for the Maple Leafs last season, but scored just 9 goals and 18 points. The change of scenery did not do anything for his career, and it seemed like his days in the NHL were numbered. This past offseason, however, the New York Rangers decided to give the 29 year old a chance, and boy has it paid off.
Through 17 games with the Rangers, Grabner already has 10 goals and 13 points. He scored again tonight in the first period, bringing his season total to 11, the most he's had since 2014. We're not even 20 games into the season. So, Is Michael Grabner good again?
I really don't know how to answer that question. I mean obviously 11 goals in 18 games is tremendous and certainly reminds me of his first season with the Islanders. There's another side to it though. It's only been 18 games. What if he's just on a lucky hot streak? He could score 11 goals in the first 20 games, and then revert back to the Michael Grabner he has been for the last 4 years and score 5 goals in the last 60+ games. I don't think that is going to happen, mostly because New York is a great team and Grabner is surrounded with talent, but it could. I guess the only way to know for sure is to wait and see what he does the rest of the season. Right now, it appears that yes, Michael Grabner is good again, but the sample size is small. Let's see what his numbers look like halfway through this season, then we will have a better idea of where he stands. Nonetheless, signing Grabner has been a great move for the Rangers.
