Whenever I think about Petter Granberg my initial reaction is this video.

The Swedish contingent of the Toronto Marlies around the years of 2013-15 certainly enjoyed ribbing one of their own and ‘Petter Granberg’ quickly became the answer to many questions.

A relatively quiet and assuming man in front of the microphone and away from the ice, he was certainly the opposite of the more vocal Viktor Loov!

A product of the Skellefteå AIK youth system, Granberg rapidly rose through the ranks before being drafted 116th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2010.

After signing an Entry-Level Contract in May of 2012, the Swedish defenseman finally headed to Canada in 2013.
Granberg played 73 games for the Toronto Marlies during the 2013-14 season and would earn himself an NHL debut on April 13, 2014, against the Ottawa Senators.
He would also suit up for fourteen post-season games with the Marlies in a run that only ended in a seven-game Conference Final against eventual champions, Texas Stars.

Never a player renowned for his offensive output, Granberg put up a respectable fifteen points in 53 outings for the Marlies in 2014-15 and also received a longer look with the Maple Leafs that season – suiting up on seven occasions.

The summer of 2015 would ultimately lead to Granberg’s career taking a different route than perhaps the one he and the Toronto organisation had planned for, especially after penning a one-year contract extension.

After requiring surgery for a torn Achilles suffered during the off-season, the Swedish defenseman was placed on waivers following a four-month rehabilitation to get him some playing time at the AHL level.

However, on November 11, 2015, the Nashville Predators opted to claim the right-handed blueliner, thus ending his time in Toronto.
Granberg would play 27 games for the Predators during that campaign and opted to sign for another two years with Nashville.
However, NHL opportunities became sparse and he would suit up for just ten further games with the Predators, playing exclusively for the Milwaukee Admirals in the 2017-18 campaign.

As an impending restricted free agent, Granberg decided his time in North America was up and opted to head home, signing a three-year contract with his former Swedish team, Skellefteå AIK.

Looking back, Granberg is somewhat of a dying breed in the NHL – a right-handed, defensive defenseman.
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility to suggest that had he not been claimed off waivers that he might have had an NHL career with Toronto.

Especially when you look at the state of Toronto’s current blue line and the rise through the ranks of someone like Justin Holl, a player given time to develop.

An often overlooked member of the Toronto Marlies during his time in the AHL, Granberg always provided a steadying presence as part of an offensively minded defensive core.

Petter Granberg’s Toronto Marlies career consisted of 126 regular seasons games in which he recorded three goals and nineteen assists, plus a further nineteen playoff outings (three assists).