Jamie McGinn is hoping new scenery will bring new challenges.
The 27-year-old joined the Arizona Coyotes on July 1 after agreeing to a three-year $10-million contract, and is hoping it comes with an opportunity to serve as a leader on a young squad.
"At this point in my career, I want a bigger role on being a leader," McGinn said, according to Sarah McLellan of azcentral sports. "There are some young guys on the team, so I want to help out in a leadership role and do the best that I can and share my knowledge and help those guys make the next step. That’s a big part in success; they have a lot of talent, but sometimes there’s some adversity that players need help through. That’s where I can come in."
McGinn is coming off the most productive season of his career, having set career highs with 22 goals and 39 points in 84 games split between the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks. That aside, McGinn insists he can't be satisfied with last season's success.
"If I find 22 goals acceptable, that means I'm not going to be working hard to get past that," McGinn said. "I'm going to continue to strive to get better."
McGinn is a welcome addition to a club that made has made a splash this offseason with several trades at the draft and the courting and eventual signing of defenseman Alex Goligoski.
"It looks like they're a very positive group," McGinn said. "I’m looking forward to the future."
