Ottawa Senators 2024 Top 25 Under 25, #5: Ridly Greig

Last Year: 7th

Reader Rank: 5th

Did you know that Ridly Greig is still waiver-eligible this year, by virtue of still being on his entry-level contract?

I honestly forgot, and it's a testament to how Greig has quickly endeared himself to Sens fans and coaching staff(s) alike.

Here's what Trevor wrote about the Lethbridge-born boy during last season's T25U25 piece:

After Greig, there aren't too many blue chip offensive prospects left in the Sens' system; Ottawa is really counting on Greig to take a big step forward this year so that he can be another piece of the core. I'd love to see him start the year in Ottawa, although we've seen the team take their time with prospects before, so I wouldn't say he's a lock despite the fact that I'm confident he's already one of their best nine forwards – whether that's at left wing or centre. I hope we get to see lots of him this year, and Ridly Greig in the playoffs could be incredibly fun. For Greig, it's no longer a question of NHL potential, it's carving out a meaningful role.

When we take a look at Greig's final stat line for 2023-24, I think it's fair to say that Trevor's hopes for him came true: 72GP, 13G, 13A: 26P, 66PIMs, 97SOG, 14:44 TOI/G. Greig started in Ottawa (✅), was confidently one of the team's best nine forwards (✅✅), and played the style of game that honours what the team's scouts saw in him when he was drafted 28th overall in 2020 – a sparkplug who screams future playoff performer (✅✅✅).

Most of his damage came in the first-half of the season – between October and January, Greig recorded 18 points in 37 games, which leaves just 8 in his last 35. However, it's important to note that he suffered a high-ankle sprain – a nagging injury – against the Kings on November 2nd and missed a month of game time before returning on December 5th. We didn't get to learn the grade of the injury, but as Drake Batherson would tell you, high-ankle sprains can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months to fully recover from.

What's more important than the production is his versatility. Greig lined up at centre and wing this season, and played his best hockey in terms of on-ice impact while centring Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux or as a left-winger for Shane Pinto and Vladimir Tarasenko. Like most of his teammates, he was unable to carry bottom-six wingers who struggle with maintaining possession of the puck – Kubalik, Kelly, Joseph – and it'll be fascinating to see where the dice fall this season given that the team will feature a brand new complement of players at the bottom of the lineup.

I've seen some fans worry about if the team's subtraction of Kelly and Kastelic (and likely punting of MacEwen to a more limited role) will impact Ottawa's overall physicality, and it reminds me to highlight Greig's impact in this area. One of the question marks when he was drafted is whether Greig's high-energy style of play would translate from the WHL to pro hockey given that his physical frame (~6-feet, ~180 pounds) are, at best, average for an NHLer. What's clear after two seasons of pro hockey is that Ridly will be fine. His 66 PIMs included some boneheaded minor penalties, but overall, his penalty differential wasn't as worrisome as I had initially feared when he was drafted. Fights with William Lagesson and Niko Mikkola, alongside initiating punishing physical play (sucks to suck, Rasmus Ristoläinen and Alex DeBrincat) showcase this ability against a varying complement of NHLers.

Of course, it's not a "season review" without touching on one of the franchise's best moments of the 2023-24 season: the empty net fiasco against our hated Toronto Maple Leafs, where Greig embodied the full swagger and disdain of Senators fans from 2000 to 2023.

What's next for Greig in 2024-25?

It's a contract year for Ridly, which means that this upcoming season is a pivotal one that'll help Steve Staios and co. determine if they see Greig as a long-term piece for the core – one ripe for a long-term deal now – or a player who they can bridge in the short-term and continuously evaluate in the context of the larger team structure.

Here's what I'll be paying attention to as I watch him play this season:

1. Centre or wing? Do we have to choose? I think if Greig's playmaking skillset and overall defensive reliability continue to see him most effective as an option down the middle, I wonder if it pushes Travis Green to name Stützle, Pinto, Greig as his top-three centres and let Josh Norris rehabilitate as a goal-scoring winger. On the contrary, Greig's centre-ice capability might allow Green to be creative with his lineup; for example, putting Greig on the wing with a right-handed centre like Shane Pinto means they can each take strong-side faceoffs, and allow Greig to be a primary playmaker for Pinto's cannon of a shot.
2. Can he continue to have an impact on the penalty kill? Greig played 99 minutes of PK time in 2023-24, primarily on the second unit, and was one of the team's better forwards in terms of preventing high-danger chances against when he was on the ice. With the departure of key PKers in Kelly and Joseph, and the continued aging of Claude Giroux, I'm imagining that Greig has the opportunity to become the team's go-to penalty killer this season.
3. Can he confidently drive play regardless of who he's with? It might be a big ask, but Greig becoming a JG Pageau-lite – a player who can play up the lineup, but probably serves the team best when feasting on lesser opposition on the third-line with a mish-mash of linemates – is an immensely valuable trait for any NHL team, especially one looking to take the next step towards regular playoff contention.

What are you looking for from Ridly Greig in 2024-25? Let us know in the comments!