Pittsburgh Penguins: Free Agent Possibilities by Position

Defense: Jeff Petry and Cody Franson

With Christian Ehrhoff and Paul Martin likely leaving this offseason, the Penguins will need to find a replacement for at least one of them.  Jeff Petry and Cody Franson are both potential options.

May 12, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry (26) looks to pass in game six of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-1 to win the series 4 games to 2. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier in the year, rumors were flying that Jim Rutherford had interest in obtaining Petry from the Oilers before the trade deadline. The deal was obviously not good enough for both sides because Petry found himself on the Montreal Canadiens roster instead.

Mar 31, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman Cody Franson (44) after a goal during the first period agains the Vancouver Canucks at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Cody Franson was trapped in Toronto on a struggling Maple Leafs team since 2011, until the team that drafted him came knocking. The Nashville Predators made a deal to bring him back to the music city.

Both of these players add experience on both the power play and penalty kill, and did I mention they are only 27 years old? Although the Penguins have a tremendous amount of depth on defense, some of those players may not be ready to step in and play at the NHL level. This is why these two players should be considered by the general manager and his staff to come on board next season.