BUFFALO, N.Y. — At 28 years old, Jordan Greenway no longer worries about the NHL trade deadline.
The Buffalo Sabres’ winger went through a deadline trade two seasons ago when the Wild traded him to the Sabres. He doesn’t pay attention to trade rumors, even those involving his name, and doesn’t use social media. Even in the final season of his contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent, Greenway isn’t sweating the March 7 trade deadline.
“Now to me it’s like tying my shoes in the morning,” Greenway said with a smile on Saturday.
It’s simple to Greenway. No matter what he does, he will never be able to control whether he gets traded. That decision will be made by general manager Kevyn Adams. But Greenway’s play in four games since returning from injury is making that decision a lot more interesting. On Saturday, in a 4-2 loss to Montreal, Greenway again showed his value. The Sabres had an 11-3 advantage in scoring chances when Greenway was on the ice. In the last four games, the Sabres have 70 percent of the expected goals when Greenway is on the ice at five-on-five.
Against a Canadiens team that was engaged physically all night, Greenway was one of the Sabres willing to answer. He had multiple big hits and was a constant presence around the net. At the end of the game, he got in the face of Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes and sparked a scuffle.
“He was just talking ridiculousness,” Greenway said. “I just wanted him to know we play them on Monday and we’re going to be coming. So hopefully he relays it to their guys.”
That’s the type of attitude and presence the Sabres need more of in their locker room. That’s why Adams has said his priority is to keep Greenway in Buffalo. And before the game on Saturday, Greenway had a lot of positive things to say about his time with the Sabres to date.
“My experience here has been unreal,” Greenway said. “I love this group. I love the direction that Kevyn, Lindy (Ruff), the direction they’re trying to go. I’m all in. Being an older guy trying to help the young guys do what it takes, let them know, show them what it takes to make the playoffs and this and that, it’s inspiring. I really enjoy it. The city, playing here, it’s been truly a great experience. I would love to be here next year.”
Of course, this will also be a question of money. Greenway has a chance to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. So if the Sabres are going to convince him to sign before that, they’re going to need to make it worth his while. AFP Analytics projects Greenway to receive a four-year contract worth $3.8 million per year. Free agency could drive that price up, though. Greenway has never been a big point producer, but his penalty killing and defensive play make him a useful player in the middle of the lineup.
It’s up to Adams to either get a deal done before the trade deadline or determine how realistic an extension would be after that point. Otherwise, the best asset management would be to trade Greenway. The alternative is the Sabres keep Greenway and try to get a contract done before July 1. Will it be OK with Greenway if he’s still on the roster after the deadline without a new contract?
“It’s got to be,” Greenway said. “I’ve got no choice.”
That’s not Greenway being cryptic, that’s just him focusing entirely on what’s in his control. Maybe it’s because he’s been through this before, but he knows any energy spent worrying about the trade deadline isn’t going to change what happens this week. It’s one thing to say that. It’s another to back it up being one of the team’s most consistent players on and off the ice. Greenway knows this week is an emotional one for other players around the league, but that’s not how he approaches it.
“People don’t like unexpected things,” Greenway said. “It’s uncomfortable. If you go through it, it minimizes how scary or nerve-wracking it can be. Grand scheme of things, you go to another team and you’ll be best friends with all of them five days after the trade deadline. And it’s gonna be as if nothing happened.”
Quick hits
1. Jason Zucker missed his second straight game with a lower body injury that happened last Saturday when he blocked a shot against the Rangers. Zucker tried to play Tuesday against the Ducks but was limited and hasn’t skated with the team since. Ruff said Zucker and the team didn’t anticipate the injury heading this direction and he thought Zucker would have been an option as early as Thursday.
“There’s just something that continues to nag at it and can’t get up and running,” Ruff said.
Ruff insisted the Sabres aren’t being cautious about the injury because of the trade deadline. But Zucker’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent is worth noting. He’s a prime trade candidate if the Sabres are unable to get him signed before the deadline.
2. Henri Jokiharju was also out of the lineup for the Sabres on Saturday, but it’s tough to determine if that has anything to do with the trade deadline. Jokiharju has been in and out of the lineup all season. Ruff has routinely made him a healthy scratch. It makes sense for the Sabres to trade him given his diminished role, but it will be interesting to see what value the rest of the league puts on him.
3. The Sabres’ upcoming schedule is a gantlet. They play at Montreal on Monday, then host the Sharks on Tuesday before traveling to Florida and beginning a stretch that looks like this: at the Lightning, at the Panthers, home vs. the Oilers, at the Red Wings, home vs. the Golden Knights, at the Bruins, at the Utah Hockey Club, at the Wild and at the Winnipeg Jets. That won’t make it easy to climb out of last place in the Eastern Conference.
(Photo: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)
