Transitional Players
The Colorado Avalanche have missed winger Jamie McGinn’s work in front of the net. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Two losses that had a definite detriment on the Avs’ season are John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn. Both these players are transitional forwards who can play top-six or bottom-six.
John Mitchell missed the beginning of the season with lingering vision problems stemming from his concussion last season. He didn’t return until two weeks in. He missed an additional two weeks with a knee injury.
Mitchell is a natural center who is good on the faceoffs — he led the team in faceoffs at times in the season. He’s also a physical player who can nonetheless score. Likewise, he can even play wing, as he’s doing now on Matt Duchene’s line. Mitchell was gone at the beginning of the year, when the Avs were struggling to get their game going.
Jamie McGinn was in a similar situation. He missed the entire preseason while still recovering from a summer shoulder injury. He returned for 19 games just to suffer a back injury. He had to undergo surgery for the back injury, and he’s been out since mid-November.
McGinn is another transitional player who sees time on both the third line and top lines — he’s often Duchene’s winger. He’s got a wicked one-timer, and he’s good on the power play. The power play — something with which the Avs have struggled this season.