Penguins plan to target Mike Santorelli in free agency

The Pittsburgh Penguins plan to target versatile forward Mike Santorelli at the opening of free agency tomorrow, Inside Pittsburgh Sports has learned.

Santorelli, 29, had 12 goals and 33 points in 79 games last season with the Maple Leafs and Predators. He had 11 goals in 57 games with the Leafs but failed to find a good fit in Nashville, managing just 1 goal in 22 games.

In 2013-2014, Santorelli had 10 goals and 28 points in just 49 games with the Canucks.

Santorelli can play all three forward positions and the Penguins are high on his playmaking ability, believing he can fit well the high-end skill on the team, though, he’s being targeted more as a top-9 forward, a team source says.

The Penguins are targeting depth players with skill and have had several discussions in recent days with Santorelli’s agent J.P. Barry.

Santorelli made $1.5 million in 2014-2015.

The Penguins intend to be more active in free agency than initially planned, but Santorelli’s tops their list of low cost targets.