Junior Grigorenko first played competitive junior hockey in his native Russia with Krasnaya Armiya in the
MHL, the junior team to
CSKA Moscow. In the
2010–11 season, as a 16-year-old, Grigorenko impressively showed an early offensive touch, contributing 17 goals and 35 points in 43 games. In June 2011, Grigorenko was selected second overall in the
CHL Import Draft by the
Quebec Remparts of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Hockey Hall of Famer
Patrick Roy, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Remparts, liked Grigorenko so much he traded up in the Import Draft to select him. Grigorenko played 59 games with the Remparts during the
2011–12 season, his first in North America, and scored 40 goals and 45 assists for 85 points. He led all rookie players in the QMJHL in goals and points and was second for assists to capture the
Michel Bergeron Trophy. He also finished fifth overall in goals scored and was tied for eighth overall for points while playing the fewest games of any player who was in the top ten in points. As a top-rated forward prospect for the
2012 NHL entry draft, Grigorenko was selected in the first round, 12th overall, by the
Buffalo Sabres. On 18 July 2012, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres. With the
2012–13 NHL lockout delaying the beginning of the NHL season, Grigorenko was reassigned to start the season back with the Remparts, where he played 32 games and recorded 50 points during the
season before the lockout ending in January. At the time, he was leading the Remparts and was fifth in the QMJHL with 29 goals, and his 50 points were second on the team.
Professional Buffalo Sabres When the lockout ended in January, Grigorenko was invited to the Sabres' training camp, where he made the roster for the start of the
season. After playing five games with the Sabres, the team opted to keep Grigorenko for the remainder of the season rather than send him back to the Remparts; had they done so, the season would not have counted as one year expired on his entry-level contract. On 29 January, Grigorenko scored his first career NHL goal, against
James Reimer of the
Toronto Maple Leafs, becoming the fifth-youngest Sabre to score in franchise history. After 22 games with the Sabres, where he recorded one goal and four assists, Grigorenko was reassigned to the Remparts on 15 March 2013. Grigorenko went on to lead the Remparts in playoff scoring with 14 points in 11 games before being recalled by the Sabres on 16 April. Grigorenko began the
2013–14 season with the Sabres. However, with the Sabres cleaning out the front office and coaching staff, and with an imperative to rely less on the youth from new head coach
Ted Nolan, he was returned to junior after sporadically appearing in just 18 games on 11 January 2014. He reported to the Remparts several days later after initially refusing to do so. In his final junior season with the Remparts, Grigorenko dominated in his 23 appearances, collecting 15 goals and 39 points in the regular season. With an early post-season exit, Grigorenko was then assigned to Buffalo's
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Rochester Americans, to play out the remainder of the year. In his first full professional year, Grigorenko split the
2014–15 season between the Sabres and Rochester. Beginning the year with the Sabres, Grigorenko would be shuffled between the NHL and AHL on five separate occasions. In 43 games with the Americans, Grigorenko continued to show his offensive promise in posting 14 goals and 36 points. He returned to complete the season with the Sabres, scoring 6 points in 25 games.
Colorado Avalanche On 26 June 2015, at the
2015 NHL entry draft, as an impending restricted free agent, Grigorenko was traded by the Sabres in a package that included
Nikita Zadorov,
J. T. Compher and the 31st pick in the draft to the
Colorado Avalanche in exchange for
Ryan O'Reilly and
Jamie McGinn. Grigorenko then signed to an initial one-year, one-way contract with the Avalanche on 17 July. Grigorenko's arrival in Colorado marked a reunion with former junior coach and then head coach of the Avalanche, Patrick Roy. He made the Avalanche roster after his first training camp, opening the
2015–16 season. After being a healthy scratch for three games, Grigorenko made his Avalanche debut centering the fourth line, collecting an assist on a
Jack Skille goal in a 3–0 victory over the
Anaheim Ducks on 16 October 2015. He continued with fourth-line duties until injury gave him an opportunity in a top-six scoring role. Grigorenko responded by recording his first goal for the Avalanche in a three-point night against the
Montreal Canadiens on 14 November 2017. He compiled seven points in six contests on an East Coast road trip before he was returned to the fourth line. Grigorenko later secured a role on a scoring line through the midpoint of the year to play his first full season in the NHL, recording a career-high six goals and 27 points in 74 games. In the off-season, as a restricted free agent, Grigorenko originally filed for arbitration. However, ahead of his scheduled meeting, he agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Avalanche on 21 July 2016. With the surprise departure of head coach Patrick Roy, Grigorenko initially impressed incoming head coach
Jared Bednar, leading the Avalanche in pre-season scoring. However, in the
2016–17 season, he was unable to maintain his offensive production as a consistent scoring threat. While lacking the physicality for a lower-depth role, Grigorenko (mainly playing on the wing) collected ten goals for 23 points in 75 games for the cellar-dwelling Avalanche. On 26 June 2017, Grigorenko was not tendered a qualifying contract by the Avalanche and became an unrestricted free agent.
CSKA Moscow As a free agent, Grigorenko garnered NHL interest however opted to return to Russia in agreeing to a three-year contract with his original junior club and a KHL powerhouse, CSKA Moscow of the
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), on 3 July 2017. In the second year of his contract with CSKA in the
2018–19 season, Grigorenko improved upon his previous seasons' totals, in leading the club in scoring with 17 goals and 35 assists for 52 points in 55 regular season games. In the playoffs, Grigorenko continued to lead CSKA's offense, helping return the club to the
Gagarin Cup finals, selected as the finals best forward in helping CSKA claim their first Championship in the KHL by scoring 6 points in the four-game series sweep against
Avangard Omsk. He scored in three games and recorded the first-ever Gagarin Cup finals hat-trick (in the first game of the series, including the game-winning goal).
Columbus Blue Jackets On 20 April 2020, Grigorenko planned a return to the NHL, signing a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the
Columbus Blue Jackets. However, the NHL rejected the contract, stating that it must be refiled on the first day of free agency for the
2020–21 season. On 13 July 2020, Grigorenko was officially signed by the Blue Jackets. After attending the Blue Jackets training camp, Grigorenko made the opening night roster, making his debut and playing his first NHL game in nearly four years in a 3-1 defeat to the
Nashville Predators on 14 January 2021. Deployed in scoring line role, Grigorenko struggled to translate his offensive game and was reduced to a healthy scratch mid-way through the season. He later returned to the lineup to finish with four goals and 12 points through 32 regular season games as the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs.
Return to CSKA Grigorenko opted to return to Russia as an impending free agent, signing a three-year contract with his former club, CSKA Moscow of the KHL, on 3 July 2021. During his second tenure with CSKA, Grigorenko helped the club return to the top of the KHL, leading the club offensively and claiming the Gagarin Cup in each of his first two seasons in
2021–22 and
2022–23.
SKA Saint Petersburg Having completed his sixth overall season with CSKA in
2023–24, Grigorenko left the club as a free agent and was signed by rival club
SKA Saint Petersburg to a lucrative four-year contract on 24 May 2024. In the following
2024–25 season, Grigorenko matched his previous season totals in posting 45 points through 65 regular season games. He was unable to propel SKA deep into the post-season, losing in the opening round.
Traktor Chelyabinsk With SKA opted to undergo a roster revamp, Grigorenko was mutually released from his contract and was signed to a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk on 11 July 2025. ==International play==