Three Top Veterans Emerge as Free Agency Targets for the Penguins This Offseason

After making several trades during the season to fill in on draft capital, the Penguins will be at a crossroads in the coming months. While they are expected to add players to their roster with the draft, Kyle Dubas, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the team, could decide to turn to the trade and free agency markets to fill voids in his lineup.

In a new report, three veterans were targeted as potential acquisitions for the Penguins.

If the Penguins decide to keep their current core, they wouldn't need to add much to get back in the playoff picture. But according to an NHL writer, Dubas could try to bring on a seasoned veteran to help Sidney Crosby lead the team.

Let's take a look at the listed options.

The 33-year-old center will be a free agent this summer, and Dubas could be tempted to bring him back to Pittsburgh, where he played a few games in 2022-23.

Earlier in the season, he was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Dallas Stars, and is currently competing in the playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets. In 12 games so far, he has had seven points, including four goals and a hat trick to give his team the win in Game 5:

Ehlers will also be a free agent this summer, as his seven-year, $6M AAV contract is set to expire. The veteran has been with the Winnipeg Jets for the past ten years, scoring 520 points in 674 regular season games.

Many teams are likely to be interested in him, especially with his recent playoff contributions. He has tallied seven points in seven games so far and notably scored two goals in his team's crucial 4-0 win last night to force a sixth game against Granlund and the Dallas Stars.

Nelson was traded by the New York Islanders to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline, and scored 13 points in the last 19 games of the regular season with his new team. In the playoffs, the 33-year-old veteran couldn't score a goal, but tallied four assists in seven games.

Just like Ehlers and Granlund, Nelson has a lot of leadership and could bring a lot to the Penguins, especially if they end up trading Sidney Crosby or another important member of the locker room.