Player evaluation: Greene

MATT GREENE
This season: 75 games, 2 goals, 7 assists, 83 penalty minutes, 17:29 average ice time.
The good: In many ways, Greene has inherited that “warrior” role that Mattias Norstrom held during his time with the Kings. Greene is a tough, selfless teammate who is completely unafraid to block shots and do the dirty work that a stay-at-home defenseman has to do in order to be successful. Greene has the most prominent voice in the locker room and is known for keeping things loose but can also be serious when needed.
The bad: There’s no mistaking what Greene’s game is about. He’s a big (6-foot-3, 237 pounds), physical defenseman who doesn’t move quickly and doesn’t have much of an offensive game. His frequent pairing with Sean O’Donnell gives the Kings two smart, responsible defensemen but also put their two slowest defensemen together, which can be a risk. Also, in his greatest indignity, Greene lost the personal scoring race with O’Donnell.
Going forward: Greene will continue to be valuable to the Kings in the same role, and he will be even more effective if they can keep his minutes under control. Greene is going to be most effective as a fifth or sixth defensemen, but the Kings’ ability to keep him in that role perhaps depends on their ability to develop/acquire a fourth defenseman to regularly play with Jack Johnson. Greene’s personality and attitude are important for a young, still-developing team.