There are ample quality forwards in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft who could be available for the Washington Capitals to pick from. One of the wingers who general manager Brian MacLellan and his staff could choose is right winger Liam Greentree of the Windsor Spitfires in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). If Washington can get their hands on Greentree and he reaches his potential, they will have a significant weapon who will help drive their offense for many seasons to come.
Greentree Gained Wisdom in Windsor
Greentree was born on Jan. 1, 2006, in Oshawa, Ontario. He is one of the draft picks in this class who spent time in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), suiting up for the Markham Majors U16 AAA squad. In 22 games with Markham, Greentree posted 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points.
After playing a role on that team for the 2021-22 season, he left the GTHL and joined the Spitfires in the OHL. The Spitfires are a solid organization that has produced quite a few alumni who have played in the NHL. Some names, among others, include Taylor Hall, Ed Jovanovski, Adam Graves, and Steve Ott. Greentree played his first OHL campaign in 2022-23, notching 25 goals and 20 assists for 45 points in 61 games to finish sixth on the roster in points. Matthew Maggio (111 points), Jacob Maillet (76), Alex Christopoulos (74), Oliver Peer (67), and Colton Smith (47) had more than he did.
It was only a small sample size for Greentree with Windsor, but he proved to be a well-respected player and teammate. As a result, he was named captain of the Spitfires in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign. That season, he stood out as an offensive force, producing 90 points (36 goals and 54 assists) in 64 games. This led all players on the roster, as the next teammates in the scoring ranks were Ryan Abraham (66 points), Peer (47), and Cole Davis (41.)
Greentree’s Strengths and NHL Comparison
There is a lot to like about Greentree’s game. He carried a lot of weight for the team on his shoulders in 2023-24. The Spitfires in general had a bad season, finishing with a 18-42-5-3 record. That was only good enough for 44 points in the standings and finishing last in the West Division. Individually, Greentree was one of the bright spots on a very bad season. The Hockey Writers‘ Dayton Reimer talks about his value to Windsor in 2023-24. Reimer wrote: “Of all the forwards available at the 2024 NHL Draft, Liam Greentree might…
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