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The Los Angeles Kings got a nice addition to the team on Thursday when they activated defenseman Matt Greene off injured reserve.
Greene played in all 82 games last season as the Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup but has appeared in only one game this season. A "mid-body injury" as the Kings coined it, has limited him. He was cleared to practice a couple of days ago and traveled on Tuesday with the team to San Jose.
It might not be the biggest news that you'll hear all day, but Greene is an important part of the team. If the Kings have any weakness, it's the lack of depth at defense without Greene and also Willie Mitchell. They traded for Keaton Ellerby, but he hasn't quite been able to match up to the absences of Greene and Mitchell.
So, yes, it's kind of a big deal. Every team wants to be at full strength when they go into the postseason; the defending champions are no different. Greene might not be Drew Doughty, Rob Scuderi or Slava Voynov, but it's not a return to be overlooked.
In the one and only game he has played this season, he had an assist in 18:01 of ice time. During the 2011-12 season, Greene had four goals and 11 assists. In 20 postseason games, he added two goals and four assists.
