Greenway eager to show he can be a force for good

Jordan Greenway admits the conversations have not always been easy.
In the aftermath of the Wild's series loss to the Vancouver Canucks in the Edmonton bubble, Wild General Manager Bill Guerin had a series of exit meetings with players ... standard protocol for any GM at the end of a hockey season.
In these meetings, executives typically share their honest assessment of a player; where they are and where the team hopes he's going.

Guerin was critical of Greenway, both publicly and privately, because Guerin is a big-time believer in the big man's ability to be a game-changing force for the Wild.
Greenway has shown at times during his NHL career the ability to be a force in the Minnesota lineup.
The problem has been, those glimpses have been too few, and too far between for Guerin's taste, a message he conveyed to Greenway before the beginning of the offseason.
It's a message that was clearly received by Greenway.

"It's motivating for sure," Greenway said. "We've had a lot of conversations, some tougher than others, but they are all truthful and they were all good for me to hear. It's motivated me this offseason to get back in the gym a little earlier than I probably would have and just to have a mindset to take my game to the next level and have a bigger impact."
The opportunity will certainly be there.
Guerin hasn't been shy about making changes over the past year, trading several big-name players to other teams in exchange for both future assets and ones that will have a chance to help this season.
When he traded Jason Zucker to Pittsburgh last season, that opened up a potential spot at left wing. Kirill Kaprizov will join the roster mix this season, but that doesn't mean Greenway won't be ready to make the rookie earn his spot in the lineup.
Despite playing in 14 fewer games than he did during his rookie campaign, Greenway tallied more assists and more points in 2019-20 than he did the year before.
But his overall affect on the game didn't really change much ... or at least enough for the Wild to be satisfied.
At 6-foot-6, with athleticism and power, Greenway has a skillset that is rare, both on this roster and in a League that is seemingly getting smaller with every passing year.
The Wild want Greenway to use that size and power to his advantage. It's a message that Greenway has heard virtually his entire life, but hearing it from Guerin a few weeks ago seems to have genuinely hit home.

"Whether we made those moves or not, it was time for me to take my game to the next level," Greenway said. "To have a bigger impact, and for me, to fill a bigger role. I think with some of these moves, that does create opportunity for me and it's something I'm excited about and want to take full advantage of."
The Wild believes enough of the still-just-24-year-old Greenway that it agreed to a two-year, $4.2 million bridge contract with the restricted free agent, offering Greenway a chance to prove he's worthy of a long-term contract to be a part of Minnesota's future plans.
That's what Greenway hopes to do, starting this upcoming season. He hasn't left Minnesota and he's very much ahead of schedule in terms of his normal offseason training routine.
Getting a deal done early in the offseason allows Greenway to put his sole focus on what's ahead.
"Any time the offseason] comes around and there is free agency, things get a little stressful," Greenway said. "It was definitely good to get it done with, to start training and start looking forward to next year."
**Related:**
- [With changes afoot, opportunity knocks for Sturm - In Minnesota, Soucy has found 'a place to call home'