Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 player outlook: Jordan Greenway

Jordan Greenway came to the Buffalo Sabres in a trade late last season, but he was rather up and down in his handful of games.

Although Jordan Greenway never found his stride in 2022-23 in his 17 games with the Buffalo Sabres, he’s still a young player who Don Granato wanted in the system. That should give us hope Greenway will make a few leaps in 2023-24, potentially as a defensive forward on the bottom six.

And despite his struggles, Greenway still gave us some decent returns. He scored four points in 17 contests, and they were all goals. Greenway also logged 28 hits in those 17 games, and an additional 13 blocks. His physicality was on display all year, even before he came to Buffalo, having recorded 79 hits and 26 blocks during his final 45 games with the Minnesota Wild.

In 2023-24, Greenway will have an easier time finding his role, which, unless he has such a good camp that he fills in for Jack Quinn on the second line, will likely take up a spot on the bottom six. I currently have Greenway projected to start the year on the third line as one of two forwards flanking Peyton Krebs. Krebs and Greenway could make for a formidable, physical unit for the duration that Quinn will miss thanks to their respective playing styles.

Can Jordan Greenway break out with the Buffalo Sabres under Don Granato?

We have seen Don Granato catapult and resurrect so many careers at this point that it’s no longer a question of whether he can do the same thing for Greenway. Granato will get the best out of the winger, and that’s all there is to it – but it doesn’t mean the 26-year-old will break out.

Instead, I’m looking for a steady improvement throughout the 2023-24 season, mainly in defensive terms. Look for a more aggressive Greenway this season, and one who will relentlessly battle for the puck when he’s on the ice.

The Buffalo Sabres on-ice save percentage was just a meager 87.6% at even strength and 88.3% when Greenway was in the game, far below his average threshold of 91.8% and 92.4%, respectively, in the same categories. Those numbers will also improve this season once Greenway finds his stride.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)