2015 NHL Draft Prospect: A.J. Greer

A.J. Greer

Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
2014-15 Team: Boston University (Hockey East)
Hometown: Joliette, Quebec
Height/Weight: 6'2.5"/204
Date of Birth: 12/14/96
Final Central Scouting Ranking: 69

When the casual fan picks up the stat sheet and sees A.J. Greer's freshman scoring line at Boston University, there might be a little confusion.

How could a player that scored just three goals and four assists in 37 games be considered a lock to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2015 NHL Draft?

Take a step back and remember that the Joliette, Quebec native was slated to be a senior in high school this past winter -- playing for Tim Whitehead's Kimball Union Academy squad. Instead, the incredibly smart student accelerated and found his way to Commonwealth Avenue.

Instead of playing against kids his age and younger, Greer instead was going up against defensemen that were, on some nights, as much as six years older than him.

He notched a goal in the Terriers' opening night 8-1 thumping of Hockey East foe UMass, but then didn't score another goal until after the turn of the calendar year.

Greer started to play better hockey down the stretch -- in all three zones -- and was rewarded with being moved up to the second line. He made the most of his increased playing time with a goal and two assists in the last five games.

"A.J. is a really good player. He's a guy that's [one of] the youngest kids in college hockey. He's had his ups and downs like most freshmen do," said Quinn after Greer scored a goal in the national semifinal win over North Dakota.

Greer is a big, power forward who is strong on pucks, but his speed should not be overlooked. He's very hard to knock off the puck and he can win a lot of battles in back of the goal line and along the side boards. He has a quick, hard release and goes to the net hard.

"He's active in the offensive zone. He's big, strong. He's getting more confident," explained Quinn.

As he continues to develop Greer will be a real threat with the puck. His presence will attract defensemen and he did a good job of distributing the puck in prep school and finding open teammates.

One of the things that improved the most over the course of the season was his defensive responsibility. His play in his own end was drastically better in March and April than it was in the first few months of the year.

Greer will likely hear his name called somewhere towards the very end of the second round or in the third round. One team is likely to jump out in front, believing in his raw and possibly untouched potential.

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Jeff Cox covers college, junior, high school and prep hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on Twitter @JeffCoxSports.