Well if you haven’t already heard, you can cross one Sabres winger off the market after he signed a two-year, $8 million extension to stick around in the City of Good Neighbors on Wednesday. And in case you haven’t noticed, Jordan Greenway decided he’d stick around despite playing for the underperforming Buffalo Sabres.
If you remember it right, the Sabres ‘bought’ at the trade deadline in March 2023, as the team found themselves in a position to snap their NHL-record playoff drought. They finished the season with 91 points and just outside the second wild card spot, but Greenway played as advertised, showing off his skills as a big hitter.
Greenway finished his first 17 games in Buffalo with just four points (all goals), and he’s only got 26 since, but his hard-hitting mentality has continued. If you remember it right, the Sabres were the softest team in the NHL when he arrived, and although they still aren’t winning games, the Blue and Gold are far, far more physical.
Jordan Greenway’s extension may signal something ahead of the trade deadline
While the Sabres are still the Eastern Conference’s worst team with just 54 points, they’re not a team devoid of talent or even in rebuilding mode. It’s likely that general manager Kevyn Adams knows this, and while we may see a sale or two, it also may foreshadow that the Sabres won’t be the Eastern Conference’s version of the Anaheim Ducks, a team that seems to be selling everyone.
Someone like Greenway could have fueled the bottom six, especially for a team like the Edmonton Oilers, who might be the least physical contending team in the NHL. Still, Greenway’s extension he signed on Wednesday shows us that Kevyn Adams isn’t giving up on (most of) this version of the Sabres.
Yeah, it might be met with ire from some fans, since Greenway isn’t a points producer and he spent most of this season on injured reserve. But that also doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable player, and if the Sabres ever clawed their way back into contention, they’d need a player like Greenway.
Jordan Greenway is a physical player who provides lower-line value
Throughout his time in Buffalo heading into Thursday’s slate of games, Greenway has appeared in 110 contests for the Blue and Gold and has logged 249 hits. That’s going on 2.5 per game, and of those 249, 80 have come this season in just 26 appearances.
Once again, Greenway is no points producer, but when he’s been on the ice at even strength in 2024-25, the Sabres have a 14.0 shooting percentage. No, his on-ice save percentage isn’t great, sitting at 86.7. But still, he’s taking just 44.3 percent of his faceoffs in the offensive zone, yet his Corsi For is a healthy 52.7 percent. That’s telling, and it shows that when Greenway’s on the ice, the Sabres are a better-scoring team.
That said, he’s obviously not a big help on the man advantage, but Greenway’s been a major asset on the penalty kill, having logged nearly 76 minutes so far. As you can see from the above numbers, he would’ve been a fine asset for a contender, but he’s staying in Buffalo and it shows that the Sabres haven’t caved just yet with their current group.