StaTuesday: Wild's Greenway looks NHL ready

By Ryan Lund
Published

A few days after fighting for a spot in the Frozen Four, Jordan Greenway will be fighting for an NHL playoff spot.



The Minnesota Wild signed Greenway to a three-year contract Monday, burning a year of that valuable entry-level deal on the final few games of the 2017-18 season. He's set to join the team ahead of a game against the Nashville Predators, and could be in the lineup as early as Tuesday.

While most prospects season for a bit in the American Hockey League, Greenway isn't most prospects.

He didn't pile up points like some of the best junior players do, but at 6-foot-6, 226 pounds, his game is more likely than most to translate directly to the NHL.

"I certainly think he can fit in our top 12 to play, and it'll be up to (Wild coach Bruce Boudreau) and the coaches to find the right role," Wild GM Chuck Fletcher told reporters Monday.

Greenway's resume certainly backs that up.

The 21-year-old was playing against NHL-sized competition as a member of the U.S. Olympic team earlier this year, holding his own in PyeongChang against seasoned veterans from the top Russian, Swedish and Finnish leagues.

He scored once in five games for an offensively anemic U.S. squad -- Ryan Donato was the only American to score more than one goal in the tournament -- and ranked second on the team with 13 shots on goal.
























































































































































































Player Team Pos GP G A P Shots
Ryan Donato USA F 5 5 1 6 15
Jordan Greenway USA F 5 1 0 1 13
Mark Arcobello USA F 5 1 1 2 8
Brian O'Neill USA F 5 1 3 4 5
Garrett Roe USA F 5 1 1 2 4
Jim Slater USA F 3 1 0 1 2
James Wisniewski USA D 5 1 1 2 5



When it comes to more typical competition, Greenway has been consistent.

His numbers haven't changed radically since his high-scoring early days at prep hockey powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary's. Since leaving to join the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2012, Greenway has been a reliable point-per-game player, first with the under-17 team, and then with the U-18s.




























































































































Season Team GP G A P
2012-13 SSM U-16 46 23 39 62
2013-14 U.S. U-17 52 16 25 41
2014-15 U.S. U-18 53 9 35 44
2015-16 BU 39 5 21 26
2016-17 BU 37 10 21 31
2017-18 BU 36 13 22 35



That trend continued at BU, where Greenway registered 26 points in 39 games as a freshman, before finding his footing -- and that point-per-game pace -- as a sophomore. He scored at roughly the same rate as a junior, finishing tied for fourth in Hockey East with Northeastern defenseman Jeremy Davies at 0.97 points per game. The other four spots in the top five went to Northeastern's devastating top line of Adam Gaudette, Dylan Sikura and Nolan Stevens.


















































































































































































































































































Player Team Year POS GP G A P P/GP
Adam Gaudette Northeastern JR F 38 30 30 60 1.58
Dylan Sikura Northeastern SR F 35 22 32 54 1.54
Nolan Stevens Northeastern SR F 38 24 18 42 1.11
Jordan Greenway Boston University JR F 36 13 22 35 0.97
Jeremy Davies Northeastern SO D 36 6 29 35 0.97
Erik Foley Providence JR F 38 16 19 35 0.92
Bobo Carpenter Boston University JR F 40 20 15 35 0.88
Mitchell Fossier Maine SO F 37 12 22 34 0.92
Brett Seney Merrimack SR F 37 13 19 32 0.86
Shane Bowers Boston University FR F 40 17 15 32 0.80
Brian Pinho Providence SR F 40 12 20 32 0.80



Greenway does plenty of damage down low and in front of the net, areas where the Wild would like to see him thrive.

"He goes to the front of the net and he stays there," Boudreau said. "That's something we lack a little bit."

That's not all he can do though. Greenway scored BU's first goal in their loss to Michigan Sunday, snapping up the puck in the neutral zone, shrugging off top prospect Quinn Hughes and ripping a wrist shot past goaltender Hayden Lavigne.









The play was a solid showcase for some of Greenway's best qualities. If he can put it all together in the NHL, the Wild could have a special player on their hands.