Penguins A to Z: Mark Jankowski is a low-risk, high reward addition
As the NHL prepares for a new season expected to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Mark Jankowski
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 212 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: 56 games, seven points (five goals, two assists)
Contract: One-year contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2021
Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Oct. 9, 2020
Last season: Generally speaking, having a down year before you hit free agency is poor timing.
But to do it just before a worldwide pandemic that crushes the economy, including the bottom lines of your potential employers? That’s just cruel.
Such is the case of Mark Jankowski.
A former first-round pick (No. 21 overall) in 2012 by the Calgary Flames, Jankowski had such an unimpressive 2019-20 campaign that the Calgary Flames declined to make him a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent and let him depart as an unrestricted free agent.
Granted, the Flames, like most other NHL teams, were facing a salary cap crunch this offseason because of the NHL’s finances being crippled by the coronavirus pandemic, and they would have had to offer him a deal that matched his salary last season ($1.75 million). But, finances aside, there was little reason for them to retain a player who was a healthy scratch for 13 games out of a possible 70 last season.
His first goal of 2019-20 did not come until his 39th game of the season Jan. 18.
During the NHL’s postseason tournament, Jankowski was held without a point while used primarily on the fourth line. Additionally, he was a healthy scratch for five of the 10 playoff games the Flames played.
Jankowski’s decline in 2019-20 came on the heels of two solid seasons. After spending four seasons at the NCAA level with Providence, Jankowski enjoyed a rookie campaign in 2017-18 in which he appeared in 72 games and posted 25 points (17 goals, eight assists) while filling out a bottom-six role. He followed that up in 2018-19 by topping those figures with 79 games and 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists).
The future: The Penguins, facing their own salary cap crunch, went bargain shopping this offseason to fill out their lineup and found a gently used Jankowski on clearance at the NHL’s minimum salary.
Management views him as a candidate for their third-line center role much as he was in during the high points of his career in Calgary. That said, faceoffs aren’t exactly his forte. After winning 52% of his draws in 2018-19, that figure fell to 44.7% last season.
Jankowski also figures to be a part of the penalty kill as he averaged 2 minutes, 2 seconds of short-handed ice time last season.
Given Jankowski was drafted more than eight years ago, it is easy to forget he is entering only his fourth true NHL season. There is plenty of room for improvement under a new coaching staff. And Jankowski wouldn’t be the first wayward soul to rediscover his game in Pittsburgh. And as a pending unrestricted free agent, he presumably would have plenty of motivation in rebounding.
Jankowski is a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Penguins.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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