With the draft now in the rearview, Kyle Dubas and his staff can shift their focus to the NHL free agency period.
After a long two days that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins add 13 new players to the organization, the front office will shift its focus from the NHL Draft right to free agency which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, July 1st at noon ET.
There was a time, not all that long ago, where the beginning of the NHL free agency period was almost a high holiday for Penguins fans. Everyone waited anxiously to see who the Penguins were going to add from the free agent market in an attempt to build the roster from another run at a Stanley Cup.
Now those times are in the past as the Penguins enter a new rebuilding era that will see them employ a new strategy in free agency, one that sees them forgo offering big contracts to big name players, instead, focusing on the future by acquiring assets to hopefully reopen the competitive window in a few years rather than this upcoming season.
Although the Penguins will not be in the running for any of the big fish set to hit the market on Tuesday, there is still plenty for Penguins fans to keep their eyes on in the coming week.
Kyle Dubas will still be working the phones and poking around the market to see what’s out there in terms of moves to be made because even though they might not be reeling in a big name come Tuesday, additions will still need to be made to fill out the roster.
Two big names to keep in mind for Penguins fans entering this week are Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. Going back to the trade deadline, Rakell was thought to be highly sought after but no trade materialized. That could all change now with teams looking to build for next season and a weak free agent market could drive up his price.
As for Rust, the no movement clause that came with the first three seasons of his current deal expires on Tuesday, meaning the Penguins can move him without needing his preapproval. His name already circulated in trade talks prior to the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday night, so don’t be surprised if that happens again once the NMC is gone.
One more name to watch is Erik Karlsson. It makes sense for the Penguins to try an move Karlsson, but his contract may throw a wrench into those plans. Even with a rising salary cap, teams may balk at taking on an additional $10 million over the next two seasons. While it’s very possible that the Penguins do move Karlsson, it may require salary retention on the Penguins part and it may even be a deal that gets done further into the summer rather than early July.
With the draft now in the rearview mirror and free agency just a day away, the Penguins rebuild is officially underway. Friday and Saturday saw over a dozen new faces added to the Penguins organization that will help make up the future. Free agency and the coming weeks will be another step in the process, though how it all plays out and what it does to the overall rebuild remains to be seen.