Brock McGinn had high expectations in his first year as a professional hockey player in the 2014-2015 season. Unfortunately, things did not work out perfectly for the Carolina Hurricanes 2012 2nd round draft pick who was coming off of a 85-point year in the OHL.
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Many considered McGinn to be a dark horse candidate to make the Hurricanes out of training camp last season, but that did not happen. Instead, he took his talents to Charlotte and suited up for the Checkers of the AHL.
73 games later, Brock McGinn had yet to play a game with the Carolina Hurricanes, and he didn’t put up the numbers that some expected from him, tallying just 27 points in 73 games with a -18 rating, including a dreadful 29-game goalless streak in the early days of 2015.
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Now, McGinn along with many other young and experienced players prepare for yet another training camp, but for the young winger, this will be a much more unique experience for him.
6’0″, 181 pound wrecking ball has a year of pro hockey experience under his belt, which is something that will be big for him entering Carolina Hurricanes training camp in September, pairing that with an apparent lack of forward depth could be the perfect storm for Brock McGinn as he tries to break into the National Hockey League.
It is by no means a lock that he will make the team out of training camp, but he has the tools that can make it happen. He is known for his aggressive and feisty style of play and, as he showed in his final year in the OHL, he can put up point as well. He even tallied 15 goals last season for a bad Charlotte team, despite not putting up impressive numbers in other areas.
Brock McGinn is an all around solid player, and that is what will help him succeed in the NHL. He will never be a big goal scorer, nor will he be a big game changer, but he could be a very important piece in a much bigger puzzle, and with young potential stars developing like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin surrounding him, McGinn could fit in perfectly in the future for the Canes.
That said, this season, the 2015-2016 campaign, will be hugely important for his development. He needs to show the organization that he can kick up his offense a bit while also being a high-energy player that will give his all on every shift. Whether that will be with the Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte Checkers, or both is the question.
I counted 10 forwards, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Jeff Skinner, Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm, Nathan Gerbe, Brad Malone, Jay McClement, Riley Nash, and Andrej Nestrasil who are probably going to be locks for the opening night roster at forward. That leaves two spots for guys like Chris Terry, Zach Boychuk, Sergey Tolchinsky, and yes, Brock McGinn to claim a spot on the team.
McGinn has a big opportunity this season that he can seize with a good training camp. He could slide in and fit perfectly as an energetic third-line forward, but if he doesn’t show that he can do it, he is best playing in the American League where he can develop his game more, get more used to the bigger bodies of the professional leagues, and gear himself up for a potential call-up.
No matter where Brock McGinn plays, it will be a very big year for him as he will try to show the Carolina Hurricanes organization and their fans that he can be relied on as a good future play for the club. He has shown in both junior hockey and in the AHL that he can play, hopefully he can show that in the NHL as well.
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