under AV's reign, Grabner would likely be stuck being a 4th line grinder or a 3rd line winger. Some players explode out of the gate (Edmonton's rookie line, Crosby, Ovie, etc.) while as some take a bit longer.
I remember how painful it was watching Kesler develop as a younger guy on the Canucks. He was given plenty of ice time but from what everybody saw, he was merely a feisty grinder. We endured a few years of that before realizing he actually had the offensive upside, which the scouts saw. Same deal with Burrows. Now we praise them like gods.
From a fan perspective, it is really difficult to judge whether or not the players would reach their potentials.
IMO, AV will always fall back on his defensive system, and as such would favour people with a more defensive game. This is why players like Grabner and Shirokov would not develop very well nor be given as much opportunity on the Canucks.