#25 Mike Grier
Grier was drafted by the St.Louis blues in the ninth round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Although he was drafted, he wasn’t expected to make that team. It was a long shot for him to do so. While playing at Boston University, Grier’s rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers, giving him an opportunity to play at the NHL level.
Once he completed college, Grier became a solid winger for the Oilers. He collected 32 points in 79 games during his first season with Edmonton, plus four points during the playoffs as well.
Grier stayed with Edmonton for six seasons as he continued to be a solid player. He eanred 44 points in the 1998-99 season, playing all 82 games in what was arguably his best season with the Oilers.
Grier was then traded to Washington for two draft picks in order to free up cap space, but he only remained with the Capitals for two season. He scored 52 points in 156 games with Washington and was then traded to Buffalo for Jakub Klepis.
Grier played 95 games for the Sabres, earning 32 points. During the 2005-2006 season, Grier set a personal record, scoring 4 game winning goals for the Sabres and contributing during their run to the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals.
Grier was then signed to a free agent deal by the San Jose Sharks, where he recorded 16 goals, including three shorthanded, in his first season with San Jose. He stayed with the Sharks for three seasons, continuing to be a solid winger.
The Sharks didn’t sign Grier after that, sending him off to the free agent market. The Buffalo Sabres signed him for a 1.2 million dollar deal, which will make him an unrestricted free agent after this season.
| Roster Size | 22 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Salary Cap | $64,300,000 | $71,100,000 | $71,100,000 | $71,100,000 | $71,100,000 | $71,100,000 | $71,100,000 |
| Cap Payroll | $56,693,737 | $36,906,666 | $21,285,833 | $18,250,000 | $13,750,000 | $13,750,000 | $4,000,000 |
| Bonuses | $602,083 | $475,000 | $475,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Projected Cap Space | $7,606,263 | $34,668,334 | $50,289,167 | $52,850,000 | $57,350,000 | $57,350,000 | $67,100,000 |