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Mac’s Mind: Why Marcus Foligno Should Be Your Favorite Player

Last week I wrote a piece about the veterans holding the Sabres back. I purposely left out Marcus Foligno on my list of players that I think should be on the chopping block.

Despite not having a lot of goals or assists, he’s still a favorite among many Sabres fans.

Here’s why:

1. He’s from Buffalo. Being the son of Mike Foligno who played for the Sabres for 10 seasons, Marcus grew up in the 716. With the leadership of their father, Marcus and his brother Nick (captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets), both rose to NHL stardom. He’s not just playing for team that signed him, he’s playing for his hometown.

2. He knows his role. Foligno is completely aware that he isn’t the most talented player on the team. He knows that sometimes he has to be a bit of an enforcer out there, a role which he takes seriously. Foligno isn’t afraid to throw big hits either. In fact, he leads the team in hits. But Marcus isn’t just a set of fists. He walks the line between an enforcer and a two way forward, carving out a nice role on the team’s shut-down third line. Oh yeah, he’s also proven he has silky mitts too.

3. He’s got devilishly good looks. This one isn’t up for debate, he’s a really handsome guy.

4. He’s quiet. Doesn’t want any attention, even when he has a great game. He isn’t dismissive of the media, he just deflects the credit to his teammates. He doesn’t view himself as better than anyone else and never takes playing in the NHL for granted. If you haven’t seen the “Beyond Blue and Gold” about him and his brother, you need to.

5. He just seems like a cool guy. He doesn’t have any public social media accounts, he grows the best mustache on the team, and his nickname is “Moose.” I mean, how cool is that? People work their entire lives to earn nicknames half as cool. Also he rocks number 82. Not only is this an extremely rare number, but it kind of represents his playing style: somewhere between a grinder and a two-way forward.

Who’s your favorite player on the team? Am I wrong for loving Foligno? Leave a comment below or send me a tweet, @MacMBenson.