Tallon said the Panthers (20-21-8), who are 11 points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, will wait and see before deciding to keep Brassard past the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET.
"We have a very important schedule here, a lot of home games the next three weeks," Tallon said. "The team has won three in a row prior to the break, played very well against good teams. If we continue and can get on a hot streak like we did last year, then he'll stay. But if it looks like we're going to fall out … we can't afford to fall back any more. So we've got to stay on top of it and we'll go game by game and week by week, and then we'll decide before the deadline what we're going to go. Performance will dictate what we do."
Bjugstad has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 33 games this season. The 26-year-old forward was selected by Florida in the first round (No. 19) of the 2010 NHL Draft and has 192 points (87 goals, 105 assists) in 395 regular-season games, and four points (two goals, two assists) in five playoff games. His six-year contract runs through 2020-21.
Bjugstad was the second-line center against Ottawa, taking the place of Malkin, who is out until at least Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes because of an upper-body injury.
"He's just a big guy (6-foot-6, 215 pounds), strong on the puck down low," Rutherford told The Athletic. "The guy has a great shot. He really likes to shoot the puck, and we like that about him. He's strong defensively as well. He can do all the things you want a third-line center to do. Plus he's only 26. We think there remains real upside there."
McCann has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 47 games. The 22-year-old center was selected by the Vancouver Canucks with the No. 24 pick of the 2014 NHL Draft and traded to the Panthers for defenseman Erik Gudbranson on May 25, 2016. He can become a restricted free agent after next season.
Rutherford said McCann's defensive ability made him desirable.
"This is a shutdown player," he said. "You put him on a third line, in that kind of role, he can shut down other players. That's what he does best. But he can score too. He can really skate. He's such a good puck-pressure guy. And the thing about him is, he's so young. There's a ton of upside there, in our opinion. We've liked him for a long time."
McCann has 71 points (27 goals, 44 assists) in 213 games with the Canucks, Panthers and Penguins.
Bjugstad and McCann are natural centers, but one likely will shift to the wing, with Matt Cullen remaining at center on the fourth line. McCann played center against the Senators with Malkin out.
"It gives us a lot of options. That was something we spoke about before Jim made the deal," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "They're both good players. They're different players, but they're good players. We felt like they could fit into our lineup and play certain roles that could help us become a better team. They can both play the wing. They can both play center.
"I thought they had strong games tonight under difficult circumstances, coming in on two wheels at the end of the warmup."