Anaheim Ducks Breakdown Of A Successful Trade Deadline
Ducks acquire forward Jamie McGinn from Buffalo in exchange for a conditional 3rd round pick
*Condition on the pick: 2016 3rd round pick becomes a 2017 2nd round pick if the Ducks reach the conference finals and McGinn plays in 50% of the Ducks games during the first two rounds.
Who is Jamie McGinn
27 year old Jamie McGinn was a second round pick of the Sharks back in 2006. He spent four seasons with the Sharks, then four with the Colorado Avalanche before he was traded to Buffalo as part of this offseason’s Ryan O’Reilly deal.
While McGinn has never panned out to be a great player in this league, he is now a good veteran that has found an added offensive touch over recent seasons. McGinn has 27 points in 63 games this year and plays a strong north and south physical game, something the Ducks love in a forward.
McGinn was labeled as one of the available rentals before the deadline as he is an unrestricted free agent this summer with his two year $5.9 million dollar deal expiring.
Why and how was this deal made
McGinn is a physical forward that goes to the front of the net. He has added a scoring touch this season and that made him an attractive deadline target. He gives the Ducks depth up front and could play on the Getzlaf or Rakell line if need be as he was playing in Buffalo’s top six for the majority of this season and excelling while doing so.
The pick involved in this deal is a conditional one. If the Ducks reach the western conference finals and McGinn plays in 50% of the Ducks games through the first two rounds of the playoffs, then the 2016 3rd round pick turns into a 2017 2nd round pick (the Ducks don’t have a 2016 2nd rounder).
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The Ducks also were planning on moving Pat Maroon today and they eventually did so. By doing that they cleared his $4.1 million in salary that he was owed over the next two seasons. Jamie McGinn’s role with the Ducks will be similar to what Maroon’s was, be a physical presence on the forecheck and go to the front of the net. However, McGinn does provide a little more offensive upside.
McGinn will be an upgrade from Maroon, who has seen his play drop off a little this season, in the top 6 and at the end of the day you look at the big picture and understand what Bob Murray was doing here. While McGinn is a rental, a contending team must take a gamble at times to get over the hump and he plays a style the Ducks like.
Buffalo get’s a good pick in return for their rental winger and the Ducks get a guy that is going to help them win in the playoffs, this is your typical deadline deal.
Statistically Speaking
According to Sportlogiq, 30.3% of McGinn’s shot attempts this season have come from the inner slot. In other words, he goes to the net and shoots the puck from dangerous scoring areas. 64.8% of McGinn’s shot attempts have been on goal, no nonsense type of guy who puts his nose down, gets to the net and puts shots on net.
McGinn ranked 3rd amongst Buffalo forwards in terms of 5 v 5 goals and points per 60 minutes. He generates nearly 7 scoring chances and nearly 4 high danger scoring chances per 60 minutes of ice time at 5 v 5, impressive numbers.
McGinn can also play on the power play, he ranked 2nd amongst Buffalo forwards in terms of individual power play scoring chances and he ranked first in individual power play high danger scoring chances. Again, impressive numbers.
To cap off his strong offensive numbers, McGinn has 112 hits on the season at 5 v 5, more than any Ducks forward so far this season. Something to ease the pain of losing Maroon’s physicality.
Oh yea, McGinn also had 5 points in 7 games with Colorado in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs.
Number to know
2.50
That was Jamie McGinn’s 5 v 5 points per 60 with Colorado during the opening round of the 2014 playoffs. 2.50 5 v 5 points per 60 ranked McGinn 3rd amongst Colorado forwards during that playoffs series, putting him behind only Paul Stastny and Nathan MacKinnon.
Further proving that this deal will give the Ducks an added edge come playoff time.
Contract and business side of the deal
Again, McGinn is a rental as a UFA this summer but do the Ducks have a shot at re-signing him? Sure.
Yes, Murray has a ton of RFA’s he will need to re-sign this summer but is it out of the question to think that a deal could be worked out? With most of Maroon’s salary gone (some was retained, more on that later) it creates some room and it’s not like the Ducks gave up a 3rd or 2nd round pick for a guy that will be seeking $5 million annually in a new deal this summer.
The financial and business side to this makes a lot of sense.
Trade grade and final thoughts
Grade = B+
You don’t win the Stanley Cup by playing it safe. Contending teams are expected to give up a little at the deadline in order to help them reach their goal and that is exactly what the Ducks did today by giving Buffalo a high pick for a guy that will help them in the playoffs.
You replace Pat Maroon’s physicality and net front presence with a guy that plays a stronger overall game and provides more offensive upside. McGinn could find a home with Rakell and Perry or even on the Ducks top line. Overall, he creates more individual quality scoring chances than Maroon.
The condition on the pick is something that I’m sure Bob Murray didn’t want to have included, but it will be a 2017 2nd and there is plenty of time to replace that pick as Murray has the assets to do so if he wishes. This was a great move for the Ducks, who are a much stronger contender than they were 24 hours ago before this deal was made.
Next: Ducks trade Tim Jackman to Chicago