Florida Panthers Q&A: Meet A.J. Greer, a gritty forward who fits team’s fourth-line style

One of the few areas of turnover for the Florida Panthers following their Stanley Cup run is the overhaul of their fourth forward line. Only one contributor from that group last season remains in Jonah Gadjovich, leaving a few playing opportunities up for grabs during training camp.

One newcomer expected to get one of those spots is forward A.J. Greer, who signed a two-year, $1.7 million deal with the Panthers on July 1 shortly after free agency opened.

Greer, 27, was a second-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2015 NHL Entry Level Draft. He has played in 167 career games for the Avalanche (37 from 2016 to 2019), New Jersey Devils (10 from 2020 to 2022), Boston Bruins (61 in 2022-23) and Calgary Flames (59 in 2023-24). He has recorded at least 100 hits in each of the past two seasons while contributing 12 points offensively each year.

“I’m really impressed with his drive at practice,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “He pushes hard as a big man who moves well. ... When you get a big man that moves that fast and is a forechecking, hard player, there’s not much that they can truly show you other than effort here because we don’t want to run running straight through a defenseman in these things. There are like players like A.J. Greer, and I guess like [defenseman Dmitry] Kulikov, I don’t watch too hard early because I know what they’re going to bring.”

Greer sat down with the Miami Herald recently at the start of training camp for a 1-on-1 interview about joining the Stanley Cup winners, training camp and what he brings to the team.

Below is a brief Q&A with highlights from that interview.

Answers have been edited lightly for clarity and length.

Now that you’ve been in camp for a few days, how have things been going?

“I mean, it’s very intense. Paul’s very diligent with how he wants things done and he expresses it very well that it’s either you’re in 100 percent or you’re out. Personally, I just try every rep, every stride, to give my best, empty the tank every drill and do as best as I can. That’s pretty much everything that I just have going through my head mentally.”

You didn’t take very long to decide to sign with the Panthers once free agency opened. Can you take me through the process?

“I had a few options, but ultimately you look at the opportunity that you’re going to get, the culture that you’re going into and then the team that you think is going to give you the best chance at winning Stanley Cup. The Florida Panthers checked all those three boxes and more. On the ice and off the ice, it’s a very desirable team, desirable location. Personally, when my agent told me that I have a choice to make, Florida was a no-brainer. Very fortunate, very grateful to be here. I’m just looking forward to showcasing who I am as a player but also as a person, and that’s exactly what they’ve been seeing the last 48 hours. I’m someone who’s had to give everything that I have every single day to get to where I am now. I’ve had multiple bumps in the road since my pro career, but I always knew I was going to make it to the NHL. I’m just very grateful that, you know, the Panthers gave me an opportunity to come here for two years.”

You mention Florida coming off the Stanley Cup win. What are you sensing from the guys still here from that run as they try for a repeat?

“You give a tremendous amount of respect to what they’ve done here and what they’ve created as a team culture, as a kind of a team identity. As a new guy, I think you just try to seamlessly, kind of integrate yourself as best as you can in the team and fill in the gaps, but also put your personality and your flair into into this group and add as much of yourself that you can to this group that’s going to be translated into a positive come game time. These weeks on on the ice have obviously been showcasing yourself for the organization, for your teammates and for the people who are in the stands, kind of looking at who you are and how much effort you can give, but also off the ice, it’s just an opportunity to get to know one another and again, create relationships and bonds before it’s time to put on the gear and go to war together.”

When it comes to that personality and flair, what should Panthers fans expect from you?

“A lot of passion, a lot of grit and a lot of hard work. I’m someone who is never going to give up, and you’re always going to notice out on the ice. Very energetic. Very loyal. I think that’s one of the biggest things is I’m very loyal to my teammates, and no one’s going to take liberties and take any cheap shots towards my teammates. But also, again, just a power forward who tries to do everything right, doesn’t get scored on, and can contribute a little bit offensively once the time is right. Ultimately, I’m just a reliable three-zone player that’s going to stand up for teammates, play physical and bring a lot of energy.”