While the Minnesota Wild’s current roster may be done with report cards, with the exception of the coaching staff and general manager, there’s one former player who deserves one. That player is Jordan Greenway, the Wild’s original “Big-Rig” prior to the Patrick Maroon days, who was traded at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline to the Buffalo Sabres in return for a second-round pick in this season’s draft and one more in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Greenway had been in trade rumors the majority of the season and while many didn’t want it to happen it was time for him to move on. Both he and the Wild needed a fresh start and while the Sabres didn’t make the playoffs this season, they’re an up-and-coming team that needed some spark and physicality like Greenway. We’ll take a look at just his regular season stats for the Wild to determine a grade plus a small section on what the Wild miss with him gone.
Greenway’s Quiet Season
Things started out rough for Greenway as he had surgery during the offseason that caused him to miss the first three games of the season. While he was never a huge point producer, he did find some success in his earlier seasons with the Wild, but it didn’t last as he was hit by the injury bug a lot this past season. In his first game back from surgery, he was knocked out by another injury that caused him to miss seven more games.
However, it seems as if he was hit with the injury curse, because once again in the same game he returned from injury, he got hurt again, and this time he missed six games. That was the final time he was injured while with the Wild but just one game after returning he recorded an assist for his first point of the season. He played 45 games total for the Wild this past season and registered two goals and five assists for seven points.
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When he joined the Sabres, he added four more goals in 17 games but that was all he’d muster for the season. He may not have produced much for points but he did do well in the hit department and was in the top 10 on the Wild’s roster with 79 hits. He also contributed with 26 blocked shots, just 11 giveaways, and 10 takeaways.
Greenway’s Grade
It’s hard to grade someone when they don’t play a full season and with Greenway, it’s even harder because he spent most of the season watching from the sidelines while he recovered from injuries. He’s a heavy hitter and that probably led to some of his injury problems, but he persevered to finish the season. No matter how many injuries he faced he found a way to get back playing.
Overall he earned a B+ for his low scoring but it didn’t drop lower because of his decent defensive skills along with not giving up regardless of repeatedly getting injured. The Wild definitely could’ve used more scoring from him when he was in the lineup but it’s not surprising he hit a funk. Apart from the actual injuries, he couldn’t get into a good rhythm with constantly being out of the lineup and never consistently playing.
Obviously, without a playoff appearance, his grade stays as a B+ at least with the Wild. Thankfully he made up for his lack of offense with his stronger defense. Hopefully, he’ll be able to stay healthy in the future no matter who he plays for.
Wild Missing Greenway
With the minimal numbers Greenway put up, it’s surprising to say the Wild miss his play but it wasn’t only his lack of offense that impacted the lineup. With a nickname like “Big Rig,” it’s clear his physicality is what came first and that made a difference. His hits changed the momentum of games and forced turnovers that helped his team score goals. The Wild still have Marcus Foligno but they let go of Greenway, Ryan Reaves, and Matt Dumba. They may have made the move to bring in Maroon but he’s got to fill the shoes of three players instead of just one.
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The Wild aren’t an overly physical team but it complemented their game as long as they kept it in check and Greenway was great at that. He didn’t go overboard unless it was absolutely necessary. They were able to finish up the season without Greenway but it’s clear he was missed in certain areas, especially the hits. Other players tried to step up but went too far and took penalties, something Greenway was careful of. However, as stated before it was time to move on for both sides, and hopefully he’ll get his offense back and do well in the future.
