Ridly Greig has already carved out a reputation in Ottawa as the kind of forward opponents notice for all the wrong reasons. He hits, he bothers people, and he makes shifts messy. What the Senators need now is for that edge to turn into something bigger: steady production from a player who can help fill a top-six role.
That’s the real question hanging over Greig heading into this season. He is listed at 6 feet and 184 pounds, not exactly the classic frame of a power forward, but his game has always leaned physical.
Over the past three seasons, he has posted 129, 138 and 96 hits. Hits never tell the whole story, but they do show a player willing to lean into contact and make life uncomfortable.
The problem is that Ottawa needs more than discomfort. It needs results.
Greig’s point totals over those same three seasons were 26, 34 and 35. That’s progress, sure, but not enough yet for a young forward trying to prove he belongs higher in the lineup than the bottom six.
The Senators lost Brady Tkachuk, and with him went a forward who could forecheck hard, win battles, stir up chaos around the crease and create offence through brute force. Greig has some of those traits.
He just has to make them count more often.
There is reason for optimism, starting with his speed. Last season, Greig ranked in the 63rd percentile for 18-20 MPH bursts and the 75th percentile for 20-22 MPH bursts. That kind of acceleration matters because it lets him close quickly on defensemen and get pressure on puck carriers before they can settle in.
But speed alone doesn’t finish the job. A forechecker has to recover pucks and win the little battles along the wall. That’s where Greig still has work to do.
He averaged 0.78 offensive-zone puck recoveries per game last season, right around the middle of the Senators’ forward group. He was also at 0.35 offensive-zone takeaways per game, which put him toward the lower end among Ottawa’s established forwards. Those numbers point directly to the next step: more puck wins, more sustained zone time, more chances created from all that pressure.
That’s the line Greig has to cross. Players like Zach Hyman and Andrei Svechnikov show how valuable relentless puck pursuit and physical play can be when they lead to possession and chances. Greig doesn’t need to become either one, but he does need to turn his style into more recovered pucks and more time spent around the net.
He also averaged 0.88 inner-slot shots per game, again sitting around the middle of the pack among Senators forwards. Getting to the dangerous areas is part of the formula. Doing it more often is the next piece.
There’s also a good reason to think he can handle it. Last season, Greig finished with a 52% expected goals percentage and a 52% Corsi for percentage, mostly while playing with Shane Pinto in a checking-line role against tough competition.
That matters because it shows he wasn’t just getting soft matchups or padding numbers in favorable minutes. He was helping Ottawa tilt the ice while taking on hard assignments.
In other words, the underlying game is there. The challenge is turning that into a more consistent offensive output.
What makes Greig such an intriguing piece is the mix he brings. He has enough speed to stay with skilled players, enough offensive touch to make plays, and enough edge to play the physical game Ottawa values. He also brings defensive reliability, which is part of why coaches have trusted him in a checking-line role against difficult opponents.
Early on, there have been some promising signs. His first scoring chances have come from driving the net with power moves and crashing for rebounds, which is exactly the kind of attack-minded approach Ottawa wants to see more of from him.
He also got a look beside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, and he used his speed well in that opportunity. The line posted a 45.02% expected goals percentage in that game. That’s not a disaster, though the Senators struggled against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday and the line combinations were changed after that.
One game won’t settle anything about Greig’s place in the lineup. Still, the opportunity was worth watching.
If he can work alongside Stützle and Batherson, he may get more chances to produce in a scoring role. But that only works if he complements their skill by winning pucks, extending possessions and doing the dirty work that keeps an offensive shift alive.
That’s the path in front of him now. Greig has already shown he can be a competitive, physical forward who can hold his own in a checking role.
His numbers suggest there’s more in there. Ottawa just needs him to unlock it.
The Senators don’t need him to become Brady Tkachuk. They need him to build on what he already does well and turn it into more offence.
The tools are there. Now it’s about converting speed, physicality and play-driving ability into something that shows up on the scoreboard.
In Other News...
Red Wings Standings Chase Just Got Tougher In The Atlantic
Ottawa is getting healthier at a good time, with defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub expected back in the lineup within the next few days. Zub has been working his way back from a knee injury that kept him out of camp and preseason, while Sandersons return should give the Senators another boost on the back end as they try to keep pace in a crowded division.
Andr Burakovsky is also close to coming back from an upper-body injury, adding another layer to the Senators near-term picture. The timing matters because Detroit has already started sorting through its own injury list, activating forwards Chase Stillman and Carter Bear and sending them to Grand Rapids, a small but relevant reminder that the Atlantic chase will keep shifting as teams get bodies back and try to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospect Watch Took A Frustrating Turn In London
The London Knights had the kind of night that can sting long after the final horn, letting an early two-goal lead slip away before falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Erie Otters. For Ottawa Senators fans keeping tabs on the prospect scene, there was still plenty to note beyond the result: Eloan Le Gallic and Marcus Nordmark chipped in, while the Knights first-period scoring and special teams left them chasing the game far too often.
Aleksei Medvedev did his part for stretches, coming up with several key saves as London tried to steady itself and get to the finish line with two points. Instead, the Knights were left to regroup after another frustrating finish, and the attention now shifts to how they respond to a game that exposed some familiar issues and offered only a partial silver lining for those watching the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Must Reshuffle Two Key Forward Spots At A Risky Time
William Eklunds ankle injury has forced Ottawa into an early lineup adjustment at a time when the Senators are already juggling bodies, and the timing is hardly ideal. Even with the shuffling, the club has managed a strong start with three wins in four games, a useful cushion as it waits on more reinforcements and tries to keep the forward group from losing too much rhythm.
Andr Burakovsky is set to make his regular season debut as part of the fix, while Ridly Greig is moving up the depth chart to help fill the void left behind. With Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson also expected back soon, Ottawa is trying to patch together the present while keeping one eye on a healthier version of the roster, but how quickly these new combinations settle in will matter. [Read more 🡒]