The Buffalo Sabres have been up and down in the early goings of the 2025-26 season, but they have played with more edge than in years past. Still, they can stand to be more physical, having averaged just 19.3 hits per game.
Now, they're about to get their sledgehammer in Jordan Greenway back. The Sabres are activating Greenway at the right time, when the early stages of the playoff race start to formulate. All Greenway does is look for opponents to hit, so adding him into the fold will immediately give Buffalo even more of an intimidation factor.
In 2024-25, Greenway took on a bit of an enforcer role, logging 100 body checks in 34 games, plus 45 penalty minutes. If you do the math and spread those numbers across 82 contests, then Greenway would have landed 241 hits and between 108 and 109 minutes in the sin bin.
That said, Greenway isn't a traditional enforcer, as he has proven himself capable of putting up middle-six minutes and pitching in for points. In 2023-24, his first season in Buffalo, Greenway found the stat sheet 28 times in 67 games that included 10 goals.
Jordan Greenway will more than make his presence known with the Sabres
Even if Greenway plays in a reduced role, such as 10-11 minutes per contest, he'll still make an impact. He might even make more of an impact if he plans on getting the most out of his ice time. That means opponents will constantly need to keep their heads on a swivel when he's flying around and looking to make contact.
This would theoretically land him in a defensive forward role, but Greenway can also help create scoring chances. In 2024-25, he logged a 51.6 Corsi For at even strength to go with a 12.2 on-ice shooting percentage. Not bad numbers for someone who is built to hit and skate through opponents. Even when he's not putting up a moderate amount of points, he's still helping out the cause.
Greenway can also add another element to what has been one of the best penalty kill units in hockey. If someone goes down with an injury, he will be right there to fill in. So that's another element and reason for Sabres fans to feel excited about this.
Overall, Greenway isn't going to be the next 50-60-point player for the Blue and Gold, but he will nonetheless play an important role. If the Sabres finally plan on letting their season last longer than 82 games, players like Greenway become luxuries.