Buffalo Sabres Jamie McGinn Is An Unsung Hero Recently
The Buffalo Sabres were stricken with a bit of an offensive blow when Tyler Ennis went down with an injury. They were in need of a player that could step up and take over his role, or at least cover his spot in the lineup well enough that it wouldn’t seem like he was missing. There has been one player in particular that has done just that. Jamie McGinn has stepped up into the top six recently, and he has not disappointed.
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Jamie McGinn was one of the secondary players that were acquired in the Ryan O’Reilly trade over the summer. So far, this trade has panned out much better for the Buffalo Sabres than it has for the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche have sent defenseman Nikita Zadorov to the AHL for seasoning, and Mikhail Grigorenko has 9 points in 24 games (1 goal); note that in comparison to Ryan O’Reilly’s 23 points and Jamie McGinn’s 13 points.
Since McGinn has arrived here in Buffalo, I have not been disappointed with his play. I remember a number of years ago when he was playing for the San Jose Sharks that he was always one of the hardest working players on the ice, and played more of a pest role. Now days, he is a little more mature and is much more sound defensively. His offensive numbers have been great as of late as well, and McGinn finds himself on a five game point streak going into tomorrow’s game.
Jamie McGinn currently sits fourth on the Sabres scoring list with 13 points, and sits fifth in goals with 5. For a player that primarily finds himself on the third and fourth lines, it is reassuring to see an offensive increase when he moves up in the lineup. McGinn has not typically been a top six player, but he definitely does have the ability to play like one.
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Jamie McGinn has been playing a transition role as he has been shuffled between the top two lines recently. Has had had some chemistry with Ryan O’Reilly as his hard working play style has left O’Reilly a little more open ice. He has also found success playing alongside Jack Eichel by being a protective defensively responsible forward.
McGinn is no slouch when it comes to physicality either. He is more than willing to throw his body around to put pressure on opposing players, and a few times this physicality has created a number of quality scoring chances. He is typically accustomed to a west coast style of play so this level of physicality makes sense, but on a Sabres team that lacks size it is much more appreciated when more players are throwing hits than just Nicolas Deslauriers.
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As the Buffalo Sabres push forwards into tomorrow’s game against the Calgary Flames, Jamie McGinn will be doing what he does best; flying under the radar and contributing in every way possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if he netted a goal tomorrow, especially is he continues to play and feed off of Ryan O’Reilly.