Penguins/NHL
Free Agency Updates on some Notable Penguins Pending UFA’s— Matt Niskanen the big fish among defensemen, it’s no surprise interest has been high. As of 4:00 p.m., up to 10-12 teams had made calls and several intend to meet with Niskanen’s agent Neil Sheehy at the draft. We’ve heard some of the usual suspects, Detroit, Florida, who will meet with Niskanen’s reps on Thursday, but a team very aggressive after Niskanen is the New York Islanders. New York hopes to be granted a visit/meeting with Niskanen and were among the first teams to reach out to the Niskanen camp.
— Deryk Engelland will not have trouble finding work. Six teams have reached out to Engelland’s agent Allain Roy, two of them believed to be Edmonton and Calgary. The Penguins have not engaged in any talks with Engelland
— Todd Reirden was officially named assistant coach of the Washington Capitals. Niskanen credits Reirden for saving his career but it’s unknown at this point if the Capitals intend to be a player for Niskanen. One Penguins defenseman, though, is of interest to them.
An NHL source says the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues are among a group of 4-5 teams to have checked in on Brooks Orpik as of a few hours ago. It’s believed the Florida Panthers are also interested in Orpik. One interesting rumor on Orpik going around is the Buffalo Sabres have heavy interest in Orpik, willing to throw big money at Orpik to fill a key veteran leadership role for the young, rebuilding Sabres who also have to get to the cap floor. The Penguins have not ruled out resigning Orpik and are mulling the possibility of making a three year offer.
