In a recent edition of his power rankings, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com determined the hidden MVP for every team in the NHL.
Greg's pick was Casey DeSmith. DeSmith had to play 28 games prior to the all-star break because of Matt Murray's injuries and ineffectiveness. In those games, the goaltender was 12-9-4 with a .917 save percentage and a 2.68 GAA. He did do a great job keeping the Pens afloat when they weren't playing their best hockey of the season.
That's a good pick by Wyshynksi. I'll go a different direction. How about Jared McCann? The dude's got 11 goals in 27 games. He can play on the PK. He plays when the Penguins are closing out games when the net is pulled. He's been on Sid's wing. He's played on Malkin's wing. He can play on the third line. His versatility has given Mike Sullivan a lot of options.
Imagine if he'd just been average. Where would the Pens be in the standings right now? Hell, it was thought that Nick Bjugstad was the steal in the Brassard/Sheahan deal. Bjugstad has been fine, but McCann has been fabulous. Without his contributions, the Penguins could possibly be fighting for a wild card spot.
Jared McCann is my hidden MVP.