Penguins Analyst Urges Kyle Dubas to Avoid Offer Sheet for One Specific Player

With the Toronto Maple Leafs' loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7, rumors began immediately as to which players would stick around and which would hit free agency.

One player who immediately came to mind was veteran forward John Tavares, who will be a very desired free agent if he chooses to seek free agency.

But the Pittsburgh Penguins cannot afford to make a run at Tavares, according to NHL analyst Tyler Miller. At 34, he would be a big salary addition, and the Penguins, who are not yet built to contend, do not have the cap space to add on another veteran star.

While some teams have been successful rebuilding around veteran stars by supporting them with young, talented players, like the Washington Capitals were able to do, the Penguins do not have the same depth or capital.

Pittsburgh is already burdened with three old stars and not much cap space to work with, so adding Tavares in the mix is not a good idea right now.

If they were serious contenders, then perhaps the talk would be different, but currently, Tavares does not fit.

The only way Pittsburgh could possibly target a Maple Leafs player is through the rarely used offer sheet. If they targeted someone like Matthew Knies, it would cost them dearly, perhaps two first-round draft picks if Toronto refused to match.

While it is not likely to happen, acquiring a young horse like Knies would do wonders for Pittsburgh's rebuild. But with the cost so high and the direction of the team now, it's a stretch. Yet in the NHL, one never knows, as twists and turns happen every day.