Buffalo Sabres Roster: Why Cody McCormick Should Play All Year

Many people underestimate the true value of a great fourth line. In some cases, it can be the difference between a Stanley Cup and a finals flake out. Just look at when the Boston Bruins a few years back when they won it, their fourth line was instrumental in their playoff run. As the Buffalo Sabres go towards a season that they want to start winning, their depth needs to be strong and having Cody McCormick as the fourth line center will give them that.

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All summer long I, along with every single other Sabres fan, have been playing around with what the possible line combinations could be for next season. While playing around with which players will be in the top six and be scoring goals for the Sabres is fun, playing around with who should man the fourth line has been my favorite part.

With strong and large players like Cody McCormick, Marcus Foligno, and Nicolas Deslauriers being my favorite candidates, I cannot help but be excited for next year.

Focusing in on Cody McCormick, there will be some significant pluses by having him in the lineup for at least 65 games. For starters, he is a large bodies center that imposes his will on other by running right over them. He has a premier NHL frame at 6’2, 224lbs and uses it very well. Not only will he run over opponents with big hits, but he can throw his fists around as well. With plenty of fights under his belt, he would be a great grinding asset for Buffalo.

McCormick has only played more than 50 games twice in his ten year NHL career, and his stats show a dramatic increase in production the more he plays. As that is the usual case with most players, McCormick is a different story because he usually only has less than 5 goals scored in each season. In fact, many times he only has one or two goals by the end of each season.

In the year that Cody McCormick played 81 games (which was with the Sabres in 2010-11) he managed 8 goals and 20 points; on top of that was 142 penalty minutes.

Now, one year out of many is no reason to assume he will hit the back of the net a great amount this year, but where McCormick brings value is in his work ethic, attitude, and play style. He is the perfect definition of a grinder type player. He wears down opponents and still has the ability to score when he gets the right chances.

Now, to put McCormick on a line with Foligno and Deslauriers would be a real thorn in the side of many teams in the NHL. They all have the ability to frustrate opponents with their gritty styles, and all of them are more than capable of scoring a few goals by the end of the year.

The reason that McCormick is the best fourth line center option for the Sabres is in his play style as I said before, but also in his ability to win face-offs. He was an even 50% last season, and that was only in 33 games played. Should he return to the lineup fully healthy for next year, his talents should not be wasted in the press box.

Next: Sabres A Good Fit For Cody Franson

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