With the NHL playoffs winding down and it almost being time to find out who is going to represent the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, there is anticipation coming for the teams that got eliminated or who did not make the playoffs.
That anticipation is NHL Free Agency and that day is coming on July 1 as anyone who is a UFA can immediately sign with another team. That day is going to have a lot of impact for the Penguins as they have some money to spend, but not money to throw at the huge names like a Marner or Tavares.
Penguins target #1: Morgan Geekie
Morgan Geekie is a name that not many people have mentioned in terms of players the Penguins should go after in free agency. But he had a really nice bounceback year for the Boston Bruins.
Geekie had 33 goals and 24 assists in 77 games this past season as he was helping be the first-line center on a Bruins team that badly needed production there. Geekie was always there to provide it even in a down year.
If the Penguins were to go after Geekie, he could be a really nice fit on the third line and really help provide production there. Will the Penguins go after Geekie? Probably not, but it is a dream for the team to do so.
Penguins target #2: Pius Suter
Another player that could really help the Penguins bottom six and their forward core in general is Pius Suter. He played every game but one this season and tallied 25 goals and 21 assists.
That was a bit of an upgrade on his production from the previous season, but he would be a nice fit for the Penguins in their bottom six and he would only need a bit of an upgrade from a 1.6 million salary from the last two seasons.
Another player that probably is not on the Penguins radar but would be a dream if he was.
Penguins target #3: Dante Fabbro
It is very well known in Pittsburgh that the defense has been a major problem for years and it is time to overhaul it and find some upgrades.
Enter Dante Fabbro who was traded midseason to the Columbus Blue Jackets from the Nashville Predators and actually seemed to have found a home in Columbus.
He would be a really nice upgrade on the back end as he actually knows how to play defense and can chip in some offensive production every now and then.
It remains to be seen if Fabbro is the type of player that Kyle Dubas is looking for to upgrade his defense, but it would be a good start if he is.