The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forward Jared McCann from Pittsburgh on Saturday, sending back former Penguins prospect Filip Hallander and a seventh-round pick in 2023, the team announced.

McCann, 25, posted 14 goals and 18 assists in 32 games in 2020-21, his second full season with Pittsburgh. It was his fourth consecutive campaign with at least 28 points.

A first-round pick by Vancouver in 2014, McCann will join his fourth NHL team, having spent time with the Canucks and Panthers.

Hallander, 21, was a second-round pick (No. 58) in 2018 by the Penguins, who traded him to the Leafs in August 2020 in the Kasperi Kapanen trade. He tallied 13 goals and 11 assists in 51 games for Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League last season.

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Why did Penguins trade McCann vs. protecting him?

Rob Rossi, Penguins senior writer: General manager Ron Hextall is in a bad, bad way for his first offseason in Pittsburgh. Cap-strapped, looking at a lengthy absence for Evgeni Malkin, too many left-shot defensemen to count, and facing an expansion draft. He has conceded to losing a good player to Seattle. But with the Penguins thin at center (Malkin's injury) and fearing Seattle would take Jeff Carter if available, Hextall had to make a call on McCann.

Trading McCann hurts the Penguins' depth and power play (again, without Malkin), but it frees some cap space while adding Filip Hallander, a former Penguins prospect that might fit in a bottom-six role. If he does, that would lessen the potential expansion loss of either Zach Aston-Reese or Brandon Tanev.

And let's not forget that everything the Penguins are doing, and will do, is to give them a chance at upgrading at goal — their real position of need. They're just going to need to give up a lot before they can even take their shot on net. McCann was the first sacrifice.

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What McCann brings to Toronto

Joshua Kloke, Maple Leafs beat writer: The 25-year-old McCann immediately brings the kind of versatility and defensive presence that the Leafs covet, especially so considering they could lose Alex Kerfoot to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. McCann's 32 points in 43 games this year suggests that, even if some regression this season occurs, he can still produce offense if he gets the chance to play with talented linemates.

But it's the solid defensive impact he brings that will be a boon to the Leafs. All of this for $2.94 million this season, which is less than Kerfoot's $3.5 million cap hit, and you can see why Kyle Dubas wanted to make this deal.

(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)