New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Consider From Pittsburgh Penguins

Jared McCann

Jared McCann had a really bad series for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His CF% at 5v5 was 37.50%. That was one of the worst in the playoffs. Patrick Marleau was the only series regular who was worse. McCann is still a really good forward who just didn’t have a good three games. Last season, he was the Penguins best player when it came to CF%, putting up an insane 72% in the four-game sweep at the hands of the Islanders.

The Penguins ended up scratching McCann for Game 3 this season, so it shows where they expect the 24 year old to produce in their lineup. Obviously, he wasn’t having a great series, but after how well he played last season, it’s a wonder why he couldn’t get it going to the point the Penguins didn’t want him to play.

He does play center, which clearly isn’t a major need for the Devils. However, Travis Zajac is on the final year of his contract, and plans for Pavel Zacha or Michael McLeod to take his position might not work out. Putting in a player who’s just 24 years old into this young lineup puts him in a position to succeed. He can play on the power play, and didn’t need Crosby or Malkin to elevate his game.

McCann is another player that won’t come cheap, but he’s a restricted free agent this offseason. The Devils don’t have their own 2nd- or 3rd-round picks, so signing him straight up as a restricted free agent isn’t possible for them. They could work out a deal with the Penguins, who likely won’t want to give him a considerable raise. The Devils could easily pay McCann while also giving up something the Penguins might be interested in.