McGinn likes Cup chances in Pittsburgh
When it was time for Brock McGinn to move on from Carolina after nine years with the organization, one thing he sought in his next city was the ability to chase the Stanley Cup. Another was the stability to do it year after year after year.
The 27-year-old winger believes he checked both boxes with the Penguins when he signed a fouryear contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million.
“Throughout my career, I’ve always had these short deals. So in the back of your mind you’re trying to fight for this deal and get that stability,” McGinn said Monday on a conference call with reporters. “But you’re still fighting for your spot every single day in the NHL. You still have the drive to prove yourself.”
The Penguins hope the 6-foot, 187-pound winger will replace some of what was lost when Brandon Tanev was claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft — and maybe that he will also give them a little bit more in other areas.
We’ll let the new guy give you the lowdown on what he plans to provide.
“I think I’m a 200-foot player who’s going to bring energy, who’s going to play that physical style and also contribute offensively,” he said. “My mindset is not going to change. … I’m going to come out, bring energy for the guys and try to win as many games as we can and hopefully bring a Cup to the city of Pittsburgh.”
McGinn was a second-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2012 and made his NHL debut in 2015-16. He became a regular two years later and a popular player in Raleigh for a Hurricanes team that blossomed into one of the NHL’s best in 2021.
While young guns such as Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov had a lot to do with that, the Hurricanes valued McGinn’s twoway play and intangibles.
McGinn is considered a solid
defensive winger. He threw 274 total hits between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, which ranked 45 among NHL forwards. He draws a good amount of penalties. In the past he has been credited with an above-average rate of takeaways. And he was a plus penalty-killer with Carolina.
“My style of play might frustrate some players on the other team,” he noted.
Last season, McGinn added eight goals and 13 points in 37 games. Both those totals would have challenged previous career highs had he played a full season.
“Last year was a true testament of how I can play and how offensive I can be as long as my defense and my full 200-foot game doesn’t [suffer],” he said.
Now, his 13.8 shooting percentage might regress back toward his career average in 2021-22. But the Penguins believe he’ll chip in offensively here and there while giving coach Mike Sullivan a responsible winger to slot into his bottom six.
“I just want to go prove that they picked me for a reason and that it was a smart choice to do so,” McGinn said of the faith the Penguins are showing in him.
McGinn, who spent parts of six NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, said it was “tough leaving Raleigh” after he grew there into the player and man he is today.
But he said it is “incredible” to join “such a highclass organization” in Pittsburgh. The Ontario native says he can’t wait to get down here and get to work.
“There was definitely other offers. But when it comes down to it, I didn’t want to go anywhere I couldn’t win the Stanley Cup,” he said. “This organization, there’s nothing bad you can say about it. Every single year they have a chance.”