Ducks Recall Nico Myatovic; Place A.J. Greer On IR

According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks recalled forward Nico Myatovic from the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. In a corresponding roster move, Anaheim placed forward A.J. Greer on the injured reserve with an upper-body ailment.

There’s no need to contact the Hardy Boys to figure out what happened to Greer. Approximately halfway through the third period in last night’s contest against the Ottawa Senators, Greer absorbed a high hit from Senators forward Dylan Cozens.

Greer lay motionless for a few moments before getting up in a fit of rage and attempting to square up with Cozens. Because he appeared injured just moments before, the referees and linesmen intervened immediately, preventing any fisticuffs. Cozens was ejected from the game. However, Jeff Marek of The Sheet confirmed that he wouldn’t receive any supplemental discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

Even more unfortunate is that Greer’s game was improving before the injury. In his first six games with the Ducks, the rugged forward managed only one assist with a -5 rating, averaging 12:01 of ice time per game. Conversely, in his previous seven games, Greer registered four goals and five points with a +4 rating, averaging 13:47 of ice time per game.

Meanwhile, the silver lining is that it has opened an opportunity for Myatovic. The 21-year-old was a second-round pick by the Ducks in the 2023 NHL Draft and was one of the last forwards cut from the preseason roster.

His development has taken a big leap forward this season. In his previous two campaigns with the Gulls, Myatovic has scored 17 goals and 38 points in 135 games with a -2 rating. He didn’t have any expectations of setting the world on fire, but the Ducks likely wanted more production than that.

However, in preseason, Myatovic registered two assists in three games for Anaheim and has gotten off to a quick start in the AHL this year. In 11 games for the Gulls, the Prince George, BC, native has scored five goals and eight points with a +1 rating.