Buffalo Sabres: Jack Quinn is playing better than you think
Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Quinn has not put up gaudy numbers. But when you look at his analytics, he is playing better than his stats show.
From a sheer numbers standpoint, J.J. Peterka has been the most productive rookie on the Buffalo Sabres. Through 10 games, Peterka has six points (3 + 3), with 17 shots on goal and a 17.6% shooting percentage.
Owen Power has seen his struggles, but he is also coming off of a strong performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Power also has three points, all assists, in the previous two contests, plus a solid 13 blocks this year. Overall, he has played well for a rookie, despite experiencing his respective ups and downs.
But no one appears to be saying much about Jack Quinn. I took little notice of him except during the Sabres big win on Halloween, where he scored his first goal of the season. Then I saw the following Tweet and decided to do a little more digging.
Jack Quinn’s underlying numbers have been so good through his 8 games, the production should start coming #Sabres
— Future of the 716 (@716FuturePod) November 3, 2022
And what I found regarding Jack Quinn’s possession metrics at even strength have been remarkable. Let’s take a look at them.
Quinn performing under-the-radar for the Buffalo Sabres
At even strength, Quinn’s Corsi For% (CF%) sits at 58.8%, which ranks second on the team next to Kale Clague (70.8%). However, Clague has only seen action in three games, while Quinn has appeared in eight, putting him at number one in the category among all players with at least eight starts in Buffalo.
Ditto for his Fenwick For% (FF%), which is slightly lower at 57.3%. With Quinn on the ice at even strength, the Sabres on-ice save percentage sits at 96.6%, second only to Victor Olofsson among players who logged at least eight starts.
The Sabres are also starting in their offensive zone 56.4% of the time when Quinn is taking his shifts, third among players with at least eight starts to just Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson. Taking one look at these numbers, and it is clear Quinn is in good company with some of the team’s most effective scorers.
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So while he hasn’t produced the same numbers as Olofsson, Tage, and Skinner, Quinn has nonetheless been one effective player. Expect his output to continue, and sooner than later, look for it to translate into more scoring opportunities and eventual points.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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