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Buffalo Sabres New Player Profile: Jamie McGinn

By Joseph DiBiase

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Jamie McGinn is not just some throw in to a large trade. He is a productive player that is entering the prime of his career.

While he is not a player that can make or break your team, he is a very good role player for any teams third line. He’s capable of playing on any line. In Colorado McGinn played on lines with Ryan O’Reilly and Nathan Mackinnon, as well as lines with role players like John Mitchell or Max Talbot. Dan Bylsma will be able to put him on any line he wants.

McGinn has proven he can score a fair amount of goals in this league. He scored 20 goals with the Sharks and Avalanche in 2012, 11 goals in a lockout shortened 2013, and 19 goals in 2014. Not phenomenal numbers, but he’s no scrub. Sabres role players of the past years like Matt Ellis, Patrick Kaleta, Cody McCormick, etc. do not put up near those goals. I liken him to a more physical Jochen Hecht.

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Anyone that watches the Avalanche on a consistent basis will tell you a few things not to like about McGinn. He is very hot and cold.

One Avalanche blogger said “Honestly, McGinn frustrates me. He’ll go on a tear and SCORE ALL THE GOALS and then we won’t see him at all for three weeks.” We will likely see tweets like this from fans all year long. McGinn is a guy that will stand up for his teammates. He has 8 career fights, and after watching them, 6 of them were him avenging a teammate.

Advanced stats wise, McGinn looks pretty good.

Decent puck possession numbers, a career Fenwick better than Matt Moulson and Thomas Vanek, as well as a solid .74 goals per 60 minutes. McGinn also had about the same o-zone and d-zone faceoff starts. Showing even more that he is a well balanced player.

I imagine McGinn starting the year on a third line with Brian Gionta and one of the rookies. Be it Jack Eichel or Sam Reinhart. McGinn can play the dirty role of going into the corners and the front of the net allowing the others to use their skill. He can also be a presence on the ice to make sure opponents don’t take liberties on the Sabres young guys.

McGinn’s contract expires after this season. Depending on what he does this season, the Sabres and McGinn will have to figure out whether it makes sense for both parties to continue together.

This season, he will draw a $2.95 million cap hit.

If he produces even what he has at his best this season, roughly 20 goals and 40 points, I would not want to give him more than $3 million a year going forward nor would I want to give him more than a 3 year contract.

Tim Murray has set up contracts for most of his veterans so that they will expire when he needs to re-sign Eichel, Reinhart, Girgensons, etc.

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