When Doug Wilson traded one of the San Jose Sharks’ third round picks to the Flyers for forward Tye McGinn it almost seemed too good to be true. The Sharks have been in desperate need of a player like him ever since, well the atrocious trade of Jamie McGinn to the Avalanche (Doug Wilson you are still not forgiven for that).
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Tye McGinn will bring the same work ethic to San Jose that made Sharks fans crazy about Jamie. He has the same kind of grit, and plays a similar game, to his brother. However a notable difference between the two is offensive talent. While Jamie had a little bit more of a scoring touch, Tye will score his goals by being in the right spots on the ice at the right time. I think it would be safe to assume that Tye McGinn will see a lot of time in San Jose this year, either on the 3rd or 4th line. The Sharks are dealing with a lot of injuries to their grinding and energy line players, which presents a big opportunity for McGinn to earn a permanent place in San Jose.
In addition to grit and a high hockey IQ, McGinn has also been known to provide a spark with his physicality and willingness to fight. He’s even dropped the gloves with two of his new teammates: Mike Brown and Michael Haley. Video of the fights can be seen here (Tye McGinn vs. Mike Brown) and here (Tye McGinn vs. Michael Haley). Seeing McGinn’s style of play makes me think he’d fit very well on a line with Andrew Desjardins and Mike Brown. During the playoffs last year we saw the 4th line step up and provide some depth scoring as well as physicality. With McGinn playing on this line, the trio can potentially replicate some of that success throughout the season.
It’s no guarantee that McGinn will be a part of the Sharks roster opening night, but I think he’d be a welcome addition to the 3rd or 4th line this year if given the chance. With training camp just around the corner the gritty forward will look to prove to the coaching staff that he is capable of taking on a permanent role with this organization going forward. He has some NHL experience having played in 36 games so far, all for the Flyers, scoring 10 points (7G, 3A) and posting a +/- of -1 during that time. For more information on Tye McGinn, I’d recommend taking a look at this bio from Hockey’s Future to get a better feel for what he could bring to the Sharks.