Over the past two campaigns, he’s only played 43 of a possible 130 regular-season games due to back and upper-body injuries. He has suited up for 29 postseason contests in that span, but his impact—while mostly positive—was limited by those nagging issues.
The 31-year-old’s return to full health would represent quite a boon to the reigning Stanley Cup champions, providing a younger L.A. blue line with a nasty demeanor and sound understanding of the system.
Despite solid contributions in the past two years, Greene still has much more left to give.
Fit
When the Kings are brought up, puck possession usually isn’t far behind. When possession is mentioned as it pertains to defensemen, puck-movers (Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, etc.) spring to mind almost immediately.
Greene, for his part, excels in possession when it’s viewed as a team concept.
He’ll never drive play forward with deft stick-handling or deadly outlet passes. With that said, he facilitates for his teammates very well, placing them in a position to succeed by nipping the opposition’s attack in the bud and keeping the other team hemmed into its zone with judicious pinches at the offensive blue line.
At first blush, the goal below appears to be the simple result of Mike Richards’ craftiness:
The replay shows Greene’s value, though, as he overwhelms the forward at the point of attack along the boards and chips the puck deep for Richards to recover. Seconds later, the Kings have tied the score.
With Doughty, Jake Muzzin, Alec Martinez and Slava Voynov in the fold, L.A.’s defense isn’t at all afraid of jumping up...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
