"Grigorii possesses a nice blend of skill and physicality, which stood out to us in camp," said Waddell. "He is a young but experienced player coming off an impressive postseason in the KHL, and we're excited to see how he performs in North America."
Dronov, 24, played in the Prospects Showcase and attended training camp while on a professional tryout (PTO) contract, making his Hurricanes preseason debut at Florida on Sept. 29. He played six games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) last season, tallying one assist. The 6'3", 201-pound defenseman then ranked second in playoff scoring among all KHL blueliners, adding 14 points (5g, 9a) in 24 playoff games as Metallurg advanced to the Gagarin Cup Final. Dronov has posted 39 points (7g, 32a) in 189 career KHL games from 2016-21, all with Metallurg. The Magnitogorsk, Russia, native also played junior hockey in his hometown, earning 13 points (5g, 8a) in 41 games with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk of the MHL, Russia's top junior league, from 2015-19. Dronov represented Russia at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship and 2021 IIHF World Championship, winning a bronze medal in 2017.
