Devil's advocate - wouldn't trading McCann be easier now that he's signed so the new team knows exactly what he's going to cost, rather than trading an unsigned RFA whose asking price might not be known?
I think he is staying. Cap isn't the factor this year. Real money is and that is why the $2.5 million for year 1 is his real cap this year. Kapanen was the same way that his salary is less than his cap hit. Rutherford is trying to build the best team he can with actual money being lowered.
I think Pens are going to play on the cheap until the deadline when players actual money cost has been paid by the other team with 2/3 of the season finished by the deadline. Look for something like this to start the season.
Guentzel-Crosby-Kapanen
Zucker-Malkin-Rust
Poulin-McCann-Simon/trade winger
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev
Lafferty
Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Marino
POJ/Riikola-Maniscalco/Ruhwedel/Trade RD
Jarry
DeSmith
Hornqvist traded
Murray traded
JJ traded and not bought out. Remember it is not about the cap but actual money. Bjugstad could of been bought out and saved much more against the cap but was traded to save actual money.
After seeing Kapanen trade, Bjugstad trade, and this signing it is obvious what the goal is. I am fine with this because Pens have always spent to the cap during the Crosby era and with big losses due to this virus it makes sense. Rutherford said he would be allowed to spend to the cap at the deadline.
I actually think the above lineup is better than what the Pens put out most of last season even in the few games they had been healthy and still finished 7th in the league while Crosby missed half the season. Kapanen is an upgrade over Simon who was Crosby's RW most of the season. Blueger was the teams 3C for almost the whole season besides a few games last year now he slots back to 4C. Poulin takes the 3 LW spot and I think gives us just as much production as last year's players with more upside. On defense Pettersson and Marino are one year closer to their primes going into 2nd and 3rd full season's. JJ and Schultz are additions by subtraction and no way the Pens could put out a worse version than that. Personally I would love POJ-Maniscalco and play for the upside. Go young and then make the deadline adjustments needed to improve.
Also remember Zucker was a late addition that will get a full season out of this year. Pens haven't had that good of 2 LW in a while.