The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Brock McGinn and defenseman Mark Friedman on waivers. After a productive weekend for the black and gold, General Manager Ron Hextall continues to make moves. After placing forward Kasperi Kapanen on waivers last week, the Penguins management is looking for the same luck, this time waiving Brock McGinn.
Brock McGinn is in the second year of a four-year contract that carries an annual value of $2,750,000 through the 2024-25 season. So far this year, McGinn has a total of ten goals and five assists for fifteen points through fifty-nine games. The 29-year-old Ontario native has been ice cold recently, going pointless in his last twenty-six games. McGinn’s last point came in a loss against the Carolina Hurricanes in which Brock scored his 10th goal of the season.
The move doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise; with McGinn yet to get a point two months into the new year while making nearly three million; something had to change. The loss of Brock McGinn’s defensive edge and ability to draw penalties well could hurt. However, it had to be done with the Penguins desperately needing secondary scoring.
It’s unlikely that Brock McGinn gets claimed, but that might not be the case for Mark Friedman. Friedman’s move also doesn’t come as a shocker with Jan Rutta’s return, but it could work out better for the 27-year-old defenseman. With a small cap hit of only $775,000 and the ability to play the left and right side, perhaps a team takes a chance on Mark Friedman. The Toronto, Ontario native brings a physical element to any lineup and some snarl to the back end. He might not be the biggest in size, but he certainly doesn’t play small. Mark Friedman is a player who does well using his body to separate opponents from the puck and can keep up utilizing his speed element.
It’s unclear what the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning, but with the moves of Brock McGinn and Mark Friedman, surely a move is on the way. The Penguins have been linked to players such as Jakob Chychrun and J.T. Miller as of late, but yet nothing promising has arisen. The black and gold currently hold the second wildcard spot as they look to fight for a playoff berth down the stretch.
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