What are the Penguins doing with Jared McCann?
It feels as if the Penguins’ extension of Jared McCann’s contract has created more questions than answers.
But why stop now? That’s been a theme throughout the offseason for general manager Jim Rutherford.
For a team he suggested needed changes, the Pens GM sure is going a long way toward keeping fringe players such as McCann, Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel.
Are those signings just to put contracts on paper so that cost-certainty can be attained before trading them? Maybe.
We talk about that topic and more during our weekly hockey podcast with Brian Metzer of the Penguins Radio Network. We also speculate about a potential trade of Patric Hornqvist and what the Pens would do for a net-front presence if he’s moved.
But back to McCann, now he’s not only overpaid at a $2.94 million cap hit that runs through 2022, but he is also miscast if the team really thinks he can be an answer at third-line center. At best, I think he is a third-line winger. We’ll see what Metzer says.
On the plus side, at least GMJR was able to ship away Nick Bjugstad’s contract to Minnesota. Metzer and I discuss that as well.
We also look at the Stanley Cup Final. The Tampa Bay Lightning built a 3-0 lead in Game 2 Monday night.
Shatty from the ketchup bottle!! pic.twitter.com/HulXSXn1Fd
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 22, 2020
They were able to cling to a 3-2 victory. So what does that mean big picture? I still think Tampa wins so long as the Lightning don’t chase the series to an elimination game. But the underdog Stars still have to feel pretty good about their situation now that they have shortened the series to a best-of-five situation.
More important, though, Metzer and I get into the true debate about this series. The battle of the celebration songs.
Thunderstruck for the Lightning? Or the Stars’ goal celly created by Pantera.
Big picture — band versus band — I go with Pantera. But Thunderstruck is the better song. Click the podcast link to see if I get Metzer to agree.
Listen: Tim Benz and Brian Metzer discuss Penguins moves, Stanley Cup Final and celebration songs
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.