The Pittsburgh Penguins began the free agency process by extending qualifying offers to all six of their restricted free agents before the free agent signing period begins tomorrow at 12 PM.
Forwards Brandon Sutter, Jayson Megna, Bobby Farnham, and recently acquired Nick Spaling all received qualifying offers, along with defensemen Simon Despres and Philip Samuelsson.
A key piece in the trade that sent Jordan Staal to Carolina, Sutter was a key cog on the third line the past two seasons for the Penguins. Along with being one of the Pens top penalty killers, Sutter scored 13 goals and had 13 assists last season.
Megna played 36 games for the Penguins last season, scoring five goals and six assists. He is considered a viable candidate to fill in a variety of roles next season for the Pens.
The 25-year old Farnham provides organizational depth and played primarily for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Baby Pens last season. His most notable statistic last season for WBS was racking up 274 total penalty minutes.
Spaling, recently acquired as part of the James Neal trade, looks to be a possible replacement as a bottom six forward. Tough and physical, Spaling should help provide needed help on the bottom two lines, filling in for the likes of Tanner Glass.
Despres has spent the past three seasons trying to stick with the Penguins. Soon to turn 23, the former first round pick seemingly never found solid ground or trust under former head coach Dan Bylsma. With a new regime in place under Mike Johnston, there is hope that Despres will have a fresh start and prove why he was selected 30th overall in the 2009 entry draft.
Samuelsson, the son of former Pens standout Ulf Samuelsson, has proven to be a viable option as a stay at home defenseman and had a plus-10 rating last season for the Baby Pens. Samuelsson got his first taste of pro hockey last year, as he appeared in five games for the Penguins as an injury replacement.
With the Penguins extending qualifying offers to each player, they will have the opportunity to match any offer made by other teams or receive compensation in draft picks if they decide to not match offers.
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
