McGinn Feeling Confident About His Game

Right after forward Brock McGinn signed a four-year deal with Pittsburgh on the first day of free agency, Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci gave him a call.
The two of them have known each other for years, as Vellucci was Carolina's assistant general manager and director of hockey operations during McGinn's first five full seasons with the Hurricanes organization.

"I got to know Mike in Carolina, and he's a great guy. He talked so highly about Pittsburgh and about how much I'm going to like it there, how high-class it is," said McGinn, who was selected by Carolina in the second round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
Vellucci just confirmed what McGinn had been hearing about the Penguins ever since he was a kid growing up in Fergus, Ontario.
"I think everything is bright about this organization," McGinn said. "There's nothing bad you can say about it. I think every single year, they have a chance. And when it comes down to it, I didn't want to go anywhere where I wasn't going to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. So when I looked at Pittsburgh, that was one of the top choices."

The feeling was mutual, as Penguins brass had the 27-year-old ranked high on their list. General manager Ron Hextall said they wanted an "inside" player who would bring energy and physicality, and help fill the void left by Brandon Tanev after the winger was taken by Seattle in the Expansion Draft.
And not only does McGinn check all of those boxes - he feels capable of adding even more. He is coming off a strong 2020-21 campaign where he tallied eight times in 37 games to give him a career-best 0.22 goals-per-game average. McGinn also tacked on three goals in 11 playoff games.
Throughout his career in Carolina, McGinn felt like the focus was more on the defensive side of his game, and that he didn't always get the opportunity to show what he could do offensively. So McGinn's goal heading into last season was to really make a statement about his ability to contribute at both ends of the ice.
"I think last year was a true testament of how I can play and how offensive I can be, as long as it doesn't hinder my defensive and full 200-foot game," McGinn said.
That being said, McGinn understands that he'll never be a 40-goal scorer who will constantly fill the back of the net. He knows first and foremost, he has to do what he does best.
"I'm going to come up, bring energy for the guys and hopefully help Pittsburgh win as many games as we can and bring a Cup to the city of Pittsburgh," McGinn said.
But McGinn's game truly has been steadily growing since establishing himself as a full-time NHLer in 2017-18. He scored a personal-best 16 goals that year, and recorded 11 goals the following season. So McGinn joins the Penguins feeling confident in himself, and wants to keep building on that.
"I think I'm at the best stage of my career here," McGinn said. "I think the first couple of years, you're really trying to gain your confidence and see where you fit in the league and on the team. And I think the last couple of years, I really established myself in the part of lineups where I feel I can play. Going forward, I want to put higher expectations on myself, and that's the way I'm going to play."
Hextall said in addition to valuing McGinn as a player, they also value the intangibles that he brings on a nightly basis, both on and off the ice. And if the prank McGinn pulled on his Hurricanes teammates a couple of Halloweens ago is any indication, he'll certainly add some much-needed levity during the grind that is an NHL season.

"I like to keep it light," McGinn said with a laugh. "I think when it comes down to it, you got to be light in the dressing room. But when it's time to go, it's serious time."
As McGinn

after inking the contract with Pittsburgh, he'll miss his teammates, the staff and fans in Carolina. But McGinn, who recently got engaged, is eager to get going with this new chapter in his life.
"It's tough leaving Raleigh. I think that's how I became the player I am today," McGinn said. "They gave me that opportunity to play in the NHL, and it's every kid's dream who plays hockey. And I think just coming here to Pittsburgh, it's a new step. It's very exciting, and I'm looking forward to getting it started."