The Pittsburgh Penguins have a few key faces that are due for new contracts this summer.

PITTSBURGH - With the trade deadline a week in the past, the Pittsburgh Penguins turn their sights to finding a way into the postseason.

No matter what happens with a playoff berth or not, the Penguins have a few upcoming free agents that may, or may not be integral to the future of the team.

There is going to be divisive opinions on each of the players at the end of their contracts, but there are a couple who will garner the most attention.

Tristan Jarry and Jason Zucker will highlight the Penguins’ group of free agents this summer putting general manager Ron Hextall in another difficult position.

Hextall will be tasked with decided whether or not Jarry and/or Zucker are worth keeping around.

The discussion around Jarry burns hot as ever as he continues to work his way back to normalcy between the pipes.

Many believe Jarry doesn’t have what it takes to backstop the Penguins to a deep playoff run, after all he’s 2-6 in eight career postseason games.

Without a resume to backup postseason success and a growing list of injuries, fans are uncertain about Jarry’s future.

Hextall has said before that Jarry is the Penguins’ goalie of the future, but has his mood on the 27-year-old netminder changed?

As for Zucker, the answer of a contract extension seems obvious, but there are obstacles.

Primary amongst them being, how much will a new Zucker contract cost? Hextall has butchered the Penguins cap situation enough and it’s not clear if the Penguins will be able to afford Zucker.

In 60 games played so far this season, Zucker has reached 40 points (22G-18A) for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

Head coach Mike Sullivan says this is the best Zucker has looked in a Penguins uniform and that’s no joke.

The previous two seasons haven’t been kind to Zucker with multiple injuries and holding him to only 35 points in 79 games between 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Also at the age of 31 with an injury history of his own, how much longer does Zucker have in the NHL?

Also coming up on the end of their contract with the Penguins are defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Dmitry Kulikov and forward Nick Bonino, Danton Heinen, and Josh Archibald.

Jarry and Zucker will be hot commodities come free agency, and it’s up to Hextall to make some tough decisions.

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