Penguins restricted free agents: Who stays and who goes?
The Pittsburgh Penguins are facing an uncertain offseason for a variety of reasons ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to their own internal shortcomings.
How that impacts the rosters moving forward is still anyone’s guess, including their own, perhaps.
With an estimated $13,224,825 of salary cap space — according to Cap Friendly — the Penguins will have to make some tough decisions before the NHL’s 2020-21 season opens in December (as hoped).
This is the first of a two-part series examining the futures of the Penguins’ pending free agents.
First, the restricted free agents:
Anthony Angello, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $833,750
His future: In the final year of his entry-level deal, Angello broke through by making his NHL debut in 2019-20, appearing in eight games and recording a goal. A first-line winger in the American Hockey League, he matched his career-high in goals (16) in only 48 games this past season. In the NHL, he’s likely to be a fourth-liner given his size (6-foot-5, 210 pounds). For a team seeking to get younger and to infuse some new energy into a stagnant roster, Angello appears to be an optimal candidate to open the 2020-21 season at the NHL level.
Tristan Jarry, goaltender
2019-20 salary cap hit: $675,000
His future: Once seen as the team’s goaltender of the future when he was chosen in the second round of the 2013 draft, Jarry appeared to realize those projections in 2019-20 as he became an all-star while largely platooning with incumbent starter Matt Murray. Jarry’s future is directly tied to Murray’s. That’s to say the team likely will keep one and figure out a way to deal the other to another team. Jarry certainly has best chance of staying just given the fact he’s coming off a small contract, and his next deal doesn’t figure to be overly expensive. Regardless, the future is now for Jarry. A “bridge” contract — a relatively brief deal which can lead to a more lucrative long-term contract — could be the best course of action for Jarry and the Penguins.
Graham Knott, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $728, 333
His future: Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in November, Knott exhibited potential as a reclamation project given his pedigree as a second-round pick in 2015. But he failed to make much of an impact with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and spent most of the 2019-20 season in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers. It’s difficult to see the Penguins making a push to retain his services.
Sam Lafferty, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $767,500
His future: Lafferty got used to the roads between Northeast and Western Pennsylvania quite a bit in 2019-20 as a frequent recall from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton throughout his rookie season. A versatile player who can man the center and wing spots, Lafferty filled in a variety of gaps in a Penguins’ lineup that was besieged by injuries in 2019-20. Coming off his entry-level contract, Lafferty can expect a small raise and a spot on the NHL roster to open the 2020-21 season.
Jared McCann, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $1.25 million
His future: Outside of the top two goaltenders, there isn’t a bigger question on the Penguins’ roster than McCann. A gifted skater who can forecheck and put heavy shots on net, McCann appears to have the base elements to be a successful player within coach Mike Sullivan’s system. But he’s been largely inconsistent throughout parts of two seasons in Pittsburgh. Those inconsistencies led to him being a healthy scratch for one game in the playoffs this month. Capable of playing center, McCann is probably a better fit on the left wing. Given that he is one of only two pending restricted free agents coming off a seven-figure salary, McCann’s next deal will carry a heavy price tag. The Penguins seem comfortable with McCann returning, but they could very well opt to trade him to avoid a salary cap crunch and to restock their pool of future assets.
Sam Miletic, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $710,000
His future: In the final year of a three-year entry-level deal, Miletic broke through in 2019-20 by playing 62 of a potential 63 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and was that team’s lone representative in the AHL’s All-Star event. Emerging as a top-six forward at that level, Miletic put up a steady but hardly spectacular 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists). It remains to be seen if that’s enough for management to extend a contract offer to Miletic. He was invited to the team’s training camp in July so there appears to be optimism he has a future with the organization. But he’s hardly a priority.
Matt Murray, goaltender
2019-20 salary cap hit: $3.75 million
His future: As Murray goes, so go the Penguins. The direction this franchise takes for the next half-decade — at least — is tied to what it decides to do with Murray. Coming off a mulit-year, multi-million dollar contract, Murray reasonably could command a lucrative, long-term deal, even if he’s coming off some inconsistent seasons. His history as a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion can overshadow those blemishes on his resume. At the same time, with the presence of Jarry and the specter of a salary cap crunch looming, the Penguins could opt to deal away Murray’s signing rights for some future assets. This team moved a future Hall-of-Fame goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury just three years ago. It easily could do the same with Murray.
John Nyberg, defenseman
2019-20 salary cap hit: $745,000
His future: Barring anything unforeseen, Nyberg won’t be playing in North America in 2020-21 as he signed with Byrnas IF of the Swedish Elite League in June. Regardless, the Penguins could extend a contract offer just to retain his NHL rights. Acquired via trade in January, Nyberg appeared in 16 games and scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, offering some stability to the blue line when injuries hit. It’s a stretch to say he’s a priority for the organization.
Juuso Riikola, defenseman
2019-20 salary cap hit: $850,000
His future: It’s hard to see either party wanting to maintain this union. Riikola has plenty of intrigue as a solid skater who can fire the puck and offer some physicality. But he has yet to really gain the trust of Sullivan, who only seems to rely on Riikola when injuries or other absences dictate. Riikola even played a handful of games as a left winger early in the 2019-20 season before he played on the blue line. A native of Finland, Riikola could make similar money in Europe while actually playing. And with the ascension of fellow left-handed defensive prospect Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the port side of the Penguins’ blue line could be crowded.
Evan Rodrigues, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $2 million
His future: There’s plenty to like about Rodrigues. Primarily because he can play plenty of positions. Blessed with the versatility to man all three forward roles, Rodrigues filled in for the Penguins in a variety of capacities late in the regular season, primarily on the bottom two lines. A strong skater who also can kill penalties, his base traits seem to make him a good fit. But he’s coming off a seven-figure contract, which is a big ticket for a player who is hardly a guarantee to be in the lineup every game. Rodrigues could be a regular part of the Penguins’ lineup in 2020-21, but it’s difficult to see it being at that price.
Dominik Simon, center
2019-20 salary cap hit: $750,000
His future: Simon has two things that work in his favor as it pertains to his status with the Penguins. Namely, he works cheap and he has the trust of Sullivan, as well as franchise center Sidney Crosby. Coming off a shoulder surgery that is scheduled to keep him sidelined until late November, at worst, Simon might not be totally ready for the NHL’s 2020-21 season, assuming it starts in early December. That might lead to management extending a small bridge contract of sorts to Simon in order to allow him time to fully recuperate. If he’s fully healthy, you can expect him to be a regular member of the lineup, especially considering the team’s salary cap crunch.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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