Pens Free Agency Buzz: Timetable for talks with pending free agents have yet to be established

Source: Pens hopeful to get Kennedy locked up by Mid-June

As expected it's been a quiet week for the Penguins on the free agent front. Several members of the Penguins front office have been on various scouting trips and the Penguins have yet to establish a timetable for contract talks with any of their impending free agents on NHL contracts.

Despite being ousted from the playoffs in April, it has not led to any rush from the Penguins to engage in talks with free agency still over 6 weeks away. There is also no rush from agents to establish the market at this time either.

When it comes to dealing with their top priorities, the Penguins normally don't engage in talks until June. Last year preliminary talks with Matt Cooke (pegged as top priority) didn't begin until after the first week of June and serious talks with Sergei Gonchar didn't begin until about mid-June.

This off-season, the Penguins don't have a player of Gonchar's stature due for free agency but when it comes to talks with their "two wildcards" pending UFA's Max Talbot and Pascal Dupuis, any kind of serious talks with both players are not expected to begin until that June timetable again.

Meanwhile, talks with Tyler Kennedy (RFA) are expected to begin much sooner. Although GM Ray Shero has yet to reach out to agent Steven Barlett, sources say the Penguins will be establishing a timetable for talks,