Colorado Avalanche Forward A.J. Greer Gets Another Shot at the NHL

The Colorado Avalanche have recalled forward A.J. Greer in lieu of Gabe Landeskog’s lower body injury. Now, he gets another shot to prove he belongs in the NHL.

The last game that forward A.J. Greer played for the Colorado Avalanche was a 2-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on November 13. However, he was one of the best players in that game, and now he gets another shot to prove he belongs in the NHL.

Unfortunately for the Avalanche, Greer was recalled because forwards Matt Duchene and Gabe Landeskog are injured for the contest against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

However — after his first game against the Bruins — it would seem that Greer is ready for the NHL. It would be nice to see him prove that against the Stars.

Line Shakeups Because of Injury

And what line is Greer going to play on? He’s apparently going to be playing on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Andreas Martinsen according to coach Jared Bednar. Here’s what Bednar had to say about that line:

"MacK’s been skating real well. I thought MacK was driving the length of the ice last game and was funneling pucks to the net. A.J.’s a guy that can skate with him. He skated real well in his first game… and gives us some outside speed on that line. He’s responsible defensively, so we know they’re going to see a tough line here tonight against Dallas. They’re four lines deep. So we’re putting him up there and putting a responsible guy on that line as well with Martinsen, so we can defend and get in and out of their zone. I like the way all three of those guys have played, and A.J. especially in his first game, so we want to give him a good opportunity here."

Sounds like that top line is going to be playing the toughest minutes against Dallas. So, A.J. Greer is definitely going to be relied upon to produce.

More From Mile High Sticking: The Hit on Duchy Should Have Been Penalized

As far as the other lines are concerned, there isn’t really any information on how they will shake out against the Stars. However, the Avalanche are now missing two of their top six forwards, so the pressure is on the depth players for sure. Fortunately, those depth players have been producing so far this season.

Unfortunately, the Avalanche have had a hard time getting production from their top offensive contributors. So, injuries to two of those players will certainly be a difficult hurdle to overcome.

Which is why it’s time for Mikko Rantanen and A.J. Greer to have big games for the Colorado Avalanche.

Avs Need Offensive Contribution Desperately

This desperate need for goals was sated a bit on Tuesday when the Avalanche won 4-1 against the L.A. Kings. However, with injuries to two of their three best players entering the game against the Stars, the Avs will need offensive contribution desperately.

Which is why contributions from Mikko Rantanen and A.J. Greer will be so key in lieu of Landy’s and Duchy’s absences from the lineup.

Sure, MacK also needs to get it going in the worst way. However, he will need some help from players who have the ability to be offensive catalysts at the forward position. And aside from Rene Bourque and Carl Soderberg, the Avs will have to rely upon Rantanen and Greer for that sort of production.

Hopefully Landeskog and Duchene will be making their returns soon. However, injuries are a part of the season for any NHL team, so the Avs need to learn to win regardless.

Conclusion

Puck drop is at 6:30 pm MST tonight as the Colorado Avalanche visit the Dallas Stars, and play in the American Airlines Center.

It seemed like Duchene was set to make his return this game, and I don’t believe that anyone was ready for Landy to miss the game.

Thus, the Avalanche need to be prepared for the contest against the Stars. They will certainly need depth forward contribution, but they will also need Rantanen and Greer to fill — to the best of their abilities — the vacated roles of Duchy and Landy.

Next: Avs Need to Find the Turning Point in Their Season

The Colorado Avalanche have a chance to get back to .500 with a win against the Dallas Stars. Their goal should be doing everything in their power to make sure that they get back to .500 against the Stars.

Hopefully Varlamov will keep his good play rolling as well because the Avs might need to be bailed out against Dallas, especially on the scoresheet.

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