Penguins pick up Bjugstad, McCann from Florida taken at PPG Paints Arena (Courtesy of Point Park University)

Nick Bjugstad. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

A year ago, Jim Rutherford acquired Riley Sheahan and then Derick Brassard to give the Penguins bottom-six depth at center. That never quite panned out for either player  — Brassard, in particular.

On Friday, Rutherford dealt both those players, along with a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, plus two fourth-rounders (their own and the one originally belonging to Minnesota) to the Panthers in exchange for forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann in a major shakeup 24 days ahead of the league's trade deadline.

No salary was retained in either direction. The Penguins added $250,000 in total salary in the trade. They still have the room to activate Justin Schultz from long-term injured reserve when needed.

Rutherford told DKPittsburghSports.com Friday that upgrading the third-line center position had been his top priority and that the trade with the Panthers had been in the works "for a while." The trade grew in the past 24 hours and was finalized Friday morning.

"It gave us a chance to get younger players that not only make us better now but make us better in the future," Rutherford said.

Brassard and Sheahan can both be unrestricted free agents this summer.

Bjugstad, 26, was the 19th overall pick in 2010. He had five goals and seven assists in 32 games this season for the Panthers. You can see all five goals right here:

In 394 career games, he has 87 goals with 104 assists for 191 points. Included in that was a 24-goal season in 2014-15.

"Bjugstad is a two-positional player, plays center and right wing," Rutherford said. "He's strong on the puck down low. He's a shooter. Given the opportunities, he shoots the puck really good. He's also a player that, even in this stage of his career, has an even bigger upside than what we've seen."

Bjugstad is under contract through 2020-21 with an AAV of $4.1 million and has a modified no-trade clause (10-team trade list) in his contract that will take effect in 2020-21. His uncle, Scott Bjugstad, is a former NHLer, who appeared in 24 games for the Penguins during the 1988-89 season.

McCann, 22, was the 24th overall pick by the Canucks in 2014. He has scored eight goals to go along with 10 assists for 18 points in 46 games for the Panthers this season. All eight goals are here:

Last year, McCann posted career highs in goals (9), assists (19) and points (28) in 68 games.

"I see him as a center-iceman who can play the wing, but he can play a shutdown role," Rutherford said. "He can skate. There's an upside there offensively."

Bjugstad will wear No. 27 for the Penguins, and McCann will take Brassard's old No. 19. Both players are expected to make their Pittsburgh debuts tonight when the Penguins host the Senators at PPG Paints Arena.

Brassard came to the Penguins last Feb. 23 in a three-way, blockbuster trade that saw the Penguins send Ian Cole, top goaltending prospect Filip Gustavsson, a first-round pick in 2018 and a third-round pick this year to Ottawa.  In addition, the Golden Knights picked up 40 percent of Brassard's $5 million salary for enforcer Ryan Reaves.

However, Brassard failed to fit in as the team's third-line center due to injury and ineffective play. In 54 games with the Penguins, the 31-year-old had just 12 goals and 11 assists. Mike Sullivan briefly tried him at left wing and on the penalty-kill, but Brassard never meshed in Pittsburgh as envisioned. He came with the reputation of being a clutch postseason performer but then added just a goal and three assists in a dozen playoff games last spring.

Brassard was held out of Wednesday night's game against the Lightning with what the team called an "upper body" injury after practicing in full a day earlier and again on Thursday. Friday's trade was hardly unexpected, as Brassard had been a source of constant trade speculation this season, and he could still be flipped by the Panthers to a team in playoff contention.

"It didn't work for whatever reason," Rutherford said of Brassard. "We talked about how he played this year, but even with the way he played, he was a third-line center with not much power-play time and still has nine goals right now. He's a guy that certainly contributes, can contribute, but not at the levels he's capable of and what our expectations were. The other part is that he's going to be a free agent at the end of the year, as Sheahan is. (Bjugstad and McCann) are under contract and controlled for a while."

Sheahan had been acquired from Detroit on October 21, 2017 in exchange for Scott Wilson and the Penguins' third-round pick in 2018.

In 122 games with the Penguins, the 27-year-old Sheahan scored 18 goals, 23 assists and 41 points and was a major contributor on the NHL's eighth-ranked penalty-killing unit. Sheahan led the Penguins with a 54.4 faceoff win percentage last season but primarily played on the wing this season after Matt Cullen was brought back in free agency.

Beginning with tonight's game against the Senators, the Penguins will have 12 games before the trade deadline. Before their recent bye-week, Sullivan said that the team needed to play to its identity and to do so consistently. However, the Penguins are 1-1 since returning to play.

Rutherford said he will use the next 12 games to get a better assessment of his team but gave no indication in what direction he is leaning.

"I don't know, based on what I see from our team, that necessarily that I have to," he said of making further moves. "But the good thing is that these guys can come in and settle in and we can watch it for a few weeks."

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