Pittsburgh Penguins Free Agent Watch: There’s Still Value to be Found via UFA
By Mike Necciai
At this point, it’s pretty clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins are done adding to their NHL roster barring another surprise trade from GM Jim Rutherford.
More from Penguins News
- Welcome To The Burgh: Lars Eller
- Penguins Waddle Toward The Season
- Farewell Carl Hagelin
- Penguins Line-up Breakdown vs Stanley Cup Champs Vegas
- Ryan Graves Solid Signing For The Pittsburgh Penguins
However, there are still names on the market that can contribute in a big way, especially if added by a contender. In a year that many saw as a summer of severe overpayment due to a weak free agency market, teams kept their expectations at bay and found great value for the most part. It remains to be seen if that will occur for the last few valuable names out there.
Names like Jiri Tlusty, Christian Ehrhoff, and most surprisingly Cody Franson are still waiting to find their 2015-16 suitor. Below, we highlight some of the names that can be of great value to a team looking for a late-season acquisition.
Forwards
Brad Boyes – Three consecutive seasons north of 30 points, including the shortened lockout season in 2012-13 in which he averaged .73 points-per-game. Similar to Santorelli, Boyes could be a very valuable bottom-six forward for a lot of teams.
Derek Roy – Roy was able to help jumpstart Nail Yakupov last season in Edmonton and could be a valuable pickup for around $1 to $1.5 million this summer. He has missed a substantial amount of games over the past two seasons, so health is a concern. But, at a cheap price that can be opened up with LTIR, signing Roy could payoff in a big way.
David Moss – You’ll likely see a trend here, as these guys are all capable bottom-six forwards, and Moss is no exception. At this point in the summer there aren’t many top-six forwards left. As teams fill out their depth positions, Moss shouldn’t be looked over if he’s willing to take a short-term deal.
Jiri Tlusty – Tlusty is the cream of the crop among lingering UFA’s. It’s unclear what the holdup is for Tlusty, but if he’s holding out until the pot is sweetened from a salary perspective, he’s likely going to be playing for a non-contender.
Defense
Christian Ehrhoff – After a disappointing season with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014-15, Ehrhoff is likely looking at a “prove it” contract for next season. Rumors are running rampant that the Columbus Blue Jackets are a likely landing spot.
Marek Zidlicky – Zidlicky is clearly on the downslope of his career. However, he may still have enough in the tank to contribute next season in a limited role.
Andrej Meszaros – Meszaros took a beating in the world of analytics last season, mainly in shot suppression numbers. However, I’m not sure what else could be expected when playing for the tanking Buffalo Sabres. His defensive numbers were respectable from 2012 to 2014. Of course, his price tag will likely need cut almost in half from his last contract.
Cody Franson – Similar to Tlusty in the forward group, and probably more so, Franson is a surprise to be sitting available at this point in the offseason. Given the needs of the Pittsburgh Penguins, he would be a perfect fit for this defensive corps. The issue is obviously cap room. Rumors have surfaced that Boston is a likely landing spot, but at this point it’s tough to get a pulse on his situation.
While there are still names that I would love to see added to the Pens, reality is that someone has to be moved first. Jim Rutherford may shock us with a Rob Scuderi trade that will free up some space for a name like Cody Franson, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. It’ll be interesting to watch the few big names left in UFA as we approach September and the opening of NHL training camps.
Next: Pascal Dupuis Could Be Fantasy Hockey Gold