It's no secret the Pittsburgh Penguins, led by GM Jim Rutherford and head coach Mike Johnston, are looking to add a top-six scoring winger.
Beyond All World centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins roster failed to provide much in the way of offensive impact in 2014-15. While the heft of both Crosby and Malkin's contracts mean that Pittsburgh's lineup is always going to be a little top-heavy, there's no denying that the group could improve on a 19th-place finish in goals-per-game played last year.
As such, it's not surprising that the team is currently in "trade mode" on the eve of NHL free agency, as TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger reports or that the list of names Rutherford and Johnston have already investigated deals for is a particularly interesting and fairly lengthy one.
"They've kicked the tires on T.J. Oshie with the St. Louis Blues, Jeff Skinner with the Carolina Hurricanes, Patrick Sharp with the Chicago Blackhawks and Phil Kessel with the Toronto Maple Leafs, among others," reports ESPN NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun.
The Penguins were said to be "interested" in a trade for the uber-talented but also uber-expensive Kessel prior to the 2015 NHL Draft last week. After the draft passed, reports emerged that the Pens and Leafs had gained "serious traction" where a potential Kessel deal was concerned, but that nothing was or is imminent.
As for Oshie, his name has been the subject of trade rumors going as far back as the March trade deadline. The Penguins and Blues GM Doug Armstrong were both reportedly looking to "shake things up" during the draft, potentially in the form of an Oshie or Brandon Sutter trade, but nothing, of course, came of it.
Rutherford and Co. have not, thus far, been one of the teams tied to Sharp, but the Blackhawks veteran winger is a talented scorer who knows well how to play alongside superstars.
Skinner is very young at 23, but suffered through something of a down season in 2014-15 after posting phenomenal numbers - 33 goals, 21 assists - in 71 games in 2013-14.
In the end, it's hard to know just where Rutherford and Johnston will wind up finding their top-six addition, but it could all potentially work out in Pittsburgh's favor as LeBrun suggests the Penguins could actually find themselves in a very fortunate spot as a buyer heading into free agency on Wednesday.
"The question those teams have to ask Tuesday on the eve of free agency is: What if the Penguins go out and sign a winger Wednesday? That would essentially rule them out of the trade market. So if you're St. Louis, Carolina, Chicago or Toronto, do you make your best offer today? Or, do you see if the Penguins strike out in free agency and then have to come back to you with a bigger need," LeBrun opines.
Former Ducks forward Matt Beleskey tops TSN's unrestricted free agent list and reports have intimated that he's garnered ample interest thus far. Michael Frolik is also just 27 and managed 19 goals and 42 assists in a full 82-games last season for the Jets, but he's reportedly targeting the Montreal Canadiens as his preferred free agent landing spot.
In short, options abound at present for the Penguins. It's simply a matter of what direction Rutherford decides to go as he attempts to return his too-talented Pittsburgh roster to the conversation for the league's elite.
