McCann and Marleau Reunite

When he was just 12 years old and wistfully dreaming of a pro hockey career, Jared McCann got a puck signed by one of his NHL heroes.
"I was kind of star struck," he admitted.
As fate would have it, McCann can now say thank-you in person, because the "hero" in question - 40-year-old Patrick Marleau - is now his linemate with the Penguins.
"It's pretty cool," the 24-year-old McCann said, "to be on his line."

Line combinations are still in the formative stages as the Penguins feel their way through their Phase 3 training camp at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, but McCann and Marleau look to be two-thirds of what could be an effective and potent third line. Under ideal circumstances they would be joined by another veteran, Patric Hornqvist, but with Hornqvist held out of the early part of camp, that slot has been filled alternately by Evan Rodrigues and Sam Lafferty.
Marleau was an unexpected addition to the Penguins lineup late in the 2019-20 regular season, arriving just before the trading deadline from the San Jose Sharks. A veteran of 22 NHL seasons, all but two with the Sharks, Marleau has put up Hall of Fame scoring numbers -562 goals and 626 assists for 1,188 points, including seven seasons with at least 30 goals. But he's never won a Stanley Cup, having lost to the Penguins during his closest call in the 2016 finals.
He brings an unusual hunger for a 40-year-old player, as well as a wide array of still-intact skills.
"He can do everything for us," McCann said. "Score goals, play well defensively, penalty kill, power play. He's a big body." Of the potential line with Marleau and Hornqvist, he added, "We look at ourselves as game-changers. We feel like we have something that a lot of teams don't."
While declining to commit to any specific line combinations at this early date, Coach Mike Sullivan said, "I think they could potentially be a really important line for us. They're three really good players. They all bring something a little different to the table. If we so choose to put those three guys together, they're a line that could help us at both ends of the rink."
Even though Marleau played only eight games with the Penguins late in the regular season, chipping in a goal and an assist, his new teammates know how much he can mean to the team both on and off the ice.
"He still has a lot of speed - I saw it this morning," defenseman Kris Letang said after practice Tuesday. "A guy with all the experience he has and the respect he's earned throughout his career, it's a big presence in our locker room. Our young guys - even guys my age-are looking up to Pat. He's a tremendous player and a great teammate. Guys watch him on and off the ice and learn things."
"He's a specimen, I can tell you that," defenseman Marcus Pettersson said. "He looks like he's 25 out there. He flies. He brings a real calming presence to the group, leads by example, plays hard every time. And with all the situations he's been through … I know he's real hungry to go deep."
McCann, who brings an abundance of youthful energy, can make contributions, too. Although the former first-round pick was struggling to score late in the season, he rang up 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 66 games, and Sullivan thinks the time off could help rejuvenate him for a strong playoff run.
"I think Jared is going to do a really good job at the center ice position," Sullivan said. "He's comfortable there. It's his natural position. I felt as though Jared's game was trending the right way right before the stoppage. I thought it was just a matter of time before he started to score goals.
"I think Jared's got a fresh start here … and we think that line has an opportunity to be a difference-maker for us."
If it does - if it all works out - McCann may be able to show Marleau the treasured old puck, perhaps even give him a chance to sign the other side.
"My parents are moving and they actually found the puck," he said. "My dad's been sending me pictures."

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Sullivan said one of his objectives early in camp is to get the players involved in "battle drills," preparing them for intense playoff competition after having so much time off.
"Something we talked about on the ice today was just recapturing that edge that our team plays with," he said. "We're just trying to put our guys in those types of situations, those types of activities, throughout the course of practices because that's one aspect of their conditioning that they really haven't been able to address (in informal skates).
"They're going to have to put their bodies through that grind. We'll get into more of that as this training camp evolves."
The players have noticed, and they welcome it.
"We've all been skating for a while, but there's been no contact (until now)," Pettersson said. "It's a different kind of conditioning. We've been working on that for a few days now. We're going to get better as camp goes on. It's a big aspect of coming back when you haven't really seen that part of the game yet."
Sullivan was asked about the possibility for injury in those physical drills, and acknowledged the potential risk - as always in hockey - but said it was part of the necessary process. Playoff game action is barely two weeks away.
"When you're playing a game that's belligerent in nature, there's risk associated with it," Sullivan said. "When you're playing the game hard and in a physical manner, there's going to be risk. That's just the nature of the sport. We all understand that. We're trying to do our best to prepare our guys for game competition. We'll get more into combative drills as training camp evolves."