4 Free Agent Targets for the Penguins

On the eve of NHL free agency, the Pittsburgh Penguins have some big decisions to make regarding the direction of the team. With more than $20 million in cap space, fans would expect Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas to sign some big-time players to expensive contracts in order to drastically improve the team. Unfortunately, if you are a fan of the team from the Steel City, I would not get my hopes up because it looks like the Penguins will not be doing much come July 1. The proof lies in Kyle Dubas’ comments.

One quote is worth analyzing: “I think our back end needs to be fixed & will be going after multiple guys that never got a chance, rather than that one typical big fish.” With a comment like “one typical big fish,” you can rule out the Penguins going after defenders like Ivan Provorov or Nikolaj Ehlers. They desperately need left-handed defensemen because that is the Penguins’ worst area. As it stands, the Penguins’ top 4 left-handed defensemen are Ryan Graves, Owen Pickering, Ryan Shea, and Vladislave Kolyachanok. Yikes. That is the worst single-position group in the entire league. The Penguins desperately need to address the lack of skill on the left side.

What Type of Players Will the Penguins Target?

I would expect the Penguins to target younger players who did not have a significant role on their previous team or like they did with Matt Grzelcyk last season, offer a one-year deal to a player who struggled the prior year and offer him a chance to improve his play so they can sign a more lucrative contract in the offseason or the Penguins can flip them for draft capital. It is also important for the Penguins not to sign players to long-term deals who will block the path of guys like Harrison Brunicke, Owen Pickering, Rutger McGroarty, or Ville Koivunen getting legitimate NHL minutes.

Ryan Lindgren

Lindgren had a pretty forgettable year. He signed a 1-year $4.5 million contract with the New York Rangers but was later traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where the Rangers acquired Calvin de Hann and a 2nd-round pick. His play in New York was declining, and he was not playing up to his price tag. He played fine in Colorado, but he will likely not net a contract near the $4.5 million mark. Lindgren would be a good addition for the Penguins as he can bring some much-needed physicality to the left side of the defense.

Taylor Raddysh

Last season, the Penguins traded for Tommy Novak from the Nashville Predators, a player who struggled to see a significant role for the Predators. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Novak only played two games before suffering a season-ending lower-body injury. Raddysh is a similar player. In Washington with the Capitals, Raddysh did not have a substantial role but recorded 27 points while only averaging 12 minutes of ice time per game. He is only 27, and in Pittsburgh, he would have a more substantial role and would be a cheap option the Penguins can take a chance on.

Andrew Mangiapane

Staying in the nation’s capital, with Andrew Mangiapane, is another player Dubas should consider signing. After the Caps traded for him, Mangiapane recorded a lackluster 28 points. Considering he had a cap hit of $5.8 million, this is underwhelming to say the least.