Which Penguins Deserve a New Contract This Summer?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a handful of free agents entering the 2023 offseason.

A new front office could mean a new look roster for the Pittsburgh Penguins next season. While the Penguins' general manager position remains unclear, we know which players will be in the market for a new contract this summer.

It isn't often that the Penguins let go of a restricted free agent. That team control is valued heavily around the league, which is why you see most RFA's sign extensions or get qualified by their current clubs. The same will hold for Ryan Poehling and Drew O'Connor this summer.

Both players proved this season that they have value at the NHL level. One could argue that they were the only players to find success in a trainwreck of a bottom six.

Poehling took a little longer to find his footing after being derailed by a pair of injuries throughout the season. However, once he was healthy, Poehling more than held his own as the Penguins' third-line center. Meanwhile, O'Connor enjoyed his first full season at the NHL level, becoming an integral piece to the team's penalty kill and one of their best forecheckers.

Many of the Penguins' unrestricted free agents will likely search for new homes on July 1st, but Jason Zucker provides an interesting dilemma.

Most agree that the Penguins need to skew younger and faster with their roster decisions this summer, but Zucker's bounce back season in 2022-23 was more than worthy of another kick at the can in Pittsburgh.

Zucker has stated that he would like to return to the Penguins this summer, but after scoring 27 goals, he may have priced himself out of the organization. His return would be massive for the Penguins, but the price has to be right. The Penguins have plenty of other needs to address this offseason.

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