One of the later moves of the day on Monday had the Pittsburgh Penguins announcing the acquisition of forward Josh Jooris from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Greg McKegg, according to Pens.
The #Pens have acquired forward Josh Jooris (@JJooris19) from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Greg McKegg.
The Penguins have re-assigned Jooris to the @WBSPenguins.
Details: https://t.co/vZlDuKIV0q pic.twitter.com/6mO8lxFAHa
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 26, 2018
Jooris, like McKegg, has been a journeyman of sorts through his short NHL career having played with the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and Canes over the course of a four-year span.
Over that time, the 27-year-old from Burlington, Ontario, has collected 55 points in 204 regular season games. As for production, his best year from a numbers standpoint came in his rookie campaign in 2014-15 with the Flames when he tallied 12 goals and 24 points in 60 games.
Since then he’s seen limited time and hasn’t really done much on the offensive end. He’s averaging just over 10 minutes in ice-time per game this season and has just six points in 31 games for the Hurricanes.
“We acquired Josh Jooris from Carolina,” said Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, according to the team’s Twitter feed. “A little more insurance. A little more depth at center ice.”
Jooris is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing a one-year deal with the Hurricanes prior to the 2017-18 season. The deal carries an annual average value (AAV) of $775,000 and has just $166,667 remaining on his current deal, according to CapFriendly.
McKegg on the Move… Again
As for what the Hurricanes get in the deal, they also pick up a player who has changed teams on a regular basis since the start of his NHL career.
Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round, 62nd overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, McKegg debuted at the age of 21 in 2013-14. He spent time with the Leafs, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and, most recently, the Penguins over the course of five years.
Over that time he’s collected 7 goals and 13 points in 91 regular season games to this point. While he has also seen limited time this season – playing just under 10 minutes in 26 games this season for the Penguins – he has notched two goals and four points over that span.
Greg McKegg joins the 5th organization of his 6-year pro career #erie #OHL #NHL @ErieOtters https://t.co/TVEYVB1KcJ
— Erie Times-News | GoErie.com/Sports (@GoErieHockey) February 26, 2018
At 25, McKegg is also set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after he signed his own one-year contract with the Penguins prior to the season. He carries a season cap hit of $650,000 and gives the Hurricanes someone to play with to fill in when the roster calls for it.
McKegg also had 12 points in 28 games for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and will remain in the AHL with the move to the Hurricanes organization. According to Chip Alexander at the Charlotte Observer, McKegg will join the Charlotte Checkers as soon as he can.
On top of that, the Penguins also extended Patric Hornqvist with a five-year deal on Monday that will keep him in Pittsburgh for a while longer.
