Should New Jersey Devils Give A.J. Greer An NHL Shot?

The New Jersey Devils made a major trade with the New York Islanders last season, sending Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to Long Island for a 1st-round pick. There were some prospects added to the deal, but the response to those prospects was basically “who?”. The main part of the deal was the 1st-round pick, which the Devils ended up using on Chase Stillman. Devils fans weren’t thrilled with the pick, but that’s not for us to discuss now. What we will discuss is the “who” of the trade.

One of the pieces the Devils got back that was considered a throw in was A.J. Greer. They also got Mason Jobst, but he’s now in the Buffalo Sabres system. So, let’s focus on Greer. You know Greer. Well, in case you haven’t heard, Greer is the player that scored all four of Utica’s goals on Friday night. The Utica Comets beat the Rochester Americans 4-2.

Greer’s big night helps Utica get back to its winning ways. The Comets are coming off three losses in the past four games, and they needed a spark in the worst way. Greer did just that, helping the Comets look like the dominant team they looked like earlier in the season all by himself. It was the first time Greer ever got a hat trick in 258 AHL games, and he added one more for good measure.

A.J. Greer’s big game has us thinking about New Jersey Devils aspirations.

Greer is a former 2nd-round pick that never really lived up to the hype at stops with the Avalanche and Islanders. Since coming to the Devils, he’s been better than expected. He now has 14 goals in 34 games in the AHL. He got a very short stint with the Devils, but failed to score in his two games.

When looking at the last few months of the season, wouldn’t Greer make the most sense as someone who plays in the NHL? Obviously, if he looks completely out of place, move him back. However, if he’s just someone who took a long time to bloom into his potential, wouldn’t it make sense for the Devils to give him a chance?

It’s different for him over someone like Alexander Holtz, Reilly Walsh, or even Fabian Zetterlund. Those players need to learn to be in a winning environment. Greer has been in every possible AHL environment. He needs to see if he can keep up with the NHL speed. He’s 25 years old now, so it’s getting to the point where the Devils have to figure out what he is once and for all.

This is a very easy conversation to have after Greer scored four goals, but the reality is he did score four goals. He has the ability to take over a game in the AHL. Nobody expects him to do that in the NHL, but could he at least take over a play? If he has that kind of talent in him, then it’s worth taking a shot on him in the NHL.