NHL Free Agency: 5 Players the Pittsburgh Penguins Should Pursue

After a season full of adversity, the Penguins have nothing left to do now but wait for the draft and July 1st, which is free agency day. The Penguins enter the free agency season with all seven defensemen and both goaltenders locked up. However, they have a plethora of forwards becoming free agents.

Key members from the 2009 Stanley Cup run, like Maxime Talbot, Pascal Dupuis, Craig Adams and Eric Godard, become free agents. Solid players who have contributed, like Mike Rupp, Chris Conner, Arron Asham and Alex Kovalev, also become free agents. Tyler Kennedy is a restricted free agent.

The Penguins will try their best to bring the role players back. They can probably sign them for less than $1.5 million each. With the salary cap expected to increase to over $60 million, the Penguins should have $4-5 million to play with to perhaps bring in a right winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby.

The Penguins have seven forwards locked up for next year (Crosby, Jordan Staal, Chris Kunitz, James Neal, Matt Cooke, Evgeni Malkin, Mark Letestu) and will need to sign five to six more to fill up their roster. 

Here are five free agents the Penguins should pursue. 

Jamie Langenbrunner, RW

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 02: Jamie Langenbrunner #15 of the Dallas Stars skates against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on April 2, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, they had a veteran presence unlike any other in Bill Guerin. He was a tough customer who had seen it all and was a great mentor for the younger guys. Although he struggled in Long Island prior to coming to Pittsburgh, the change in atmosphere invigorated him to play well.

The same can happen with a guy like Jamie Langenbrunner. He didn't have the greatest season last year, so his price shouldn't be too high. He plays right wing, which means he can play with Crosby and Neal. He's shown he can perform in his mid 30s with a 61-point season on an offensively anemic Devils team.

Most importantly, he has played in many big games. He won a Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and another one with the New Jersey Devils in 2003. Finally, he's only 35, so he definitely has a few years left in his tank.

Langenbrunner made $2.8 million last season. He should probably make close to $3 million a year in his new contract for two to three years. The Penguins have over $13 million in cap space. The third year may be an issue because GM Ray Shero doesn't like giving out long contracts. But there is no question the leadership Langenbrunner will bring to Pittsburgh will be unmatched by any of the available free agents. 

Sean Bergenheim, LW

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Sean Bergenheim #10 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his second period goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Ce

Sean Bergenheim burned the Penguins in the playoffs in Game 7 with the lone goal for the Lightning. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Could his first-round performance have been an audition for him?

With the possibility of losing guys like Asham, Dupuis and Talbot, Sean Bergenheim can be a great fill-in. First off, he only made $700K last season, so he'll be a cheap signing at around $1 million. Secondly, he shows consistency over time. He's put up 10-plus goals in the last four seasons. He's not really known for his hands, but he's also a physical guy who can block shots.

He's the type of guy the Penguins like, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him in a Penguins uniform come October.

Alex Tanguay, LW

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 10: Alex Tanguay #40 of the Calgary Flames skates with the puck during the NHL game against the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena on March 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Flames 3-0. (Photo by Christian Pe

Surprisingly, Tanguay's only 31. This might be a stretch. Tanguay is probably looking for a five-year deal for his last big contract. He certainly put up the numbers to show that he deserves it.

At this point in his career, he's probably looking for security rather than a flashy team that can help him win a Cup. He's won a Cup. He's come up big in Game 7 in the 2001 Finals. That's probably why the Penguins will go after him.

He was paid $1.7 million last year. After his 69-point season with Calgary, he'll probably be looking for close to $3 million per year and around four or five years. That might be too much for the Penguins, who dislike giving out big contracts. But like Langenbrunner, he provides leadership and another linemate for Crosby.

Matt Bradley, RW

Len Redkoles/Getty Images

WASHINGTON , DC - APRIL 23: Matt Bradley #10 of the Washington Capitals battles for the puck as he checks Bryan McCabe #28 of the New York Rangers in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Verizo

Matt Bradley had a stint with the Penguins many years ago when they were in the abyss of the NHL. He's developed into a great shutdown forward for the Capitals. He'll probably making around a million next season, so if Talbot, Rupp or Asham bolts to another team, Bradley would be a great replacement.

He had 161 hits this season, and most importantly it would be great to steal one of Washington's top shutdown forwards. That is, if the Capitals don't steal Talbot or Rupp.  

Tomas Fleischmann

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 18: Tomas Fleischmann #14 of the Colorado Avalanche takes a shot against the Vancouver Canucks at the Pepsi Center on January 18, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Canucks 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Doug Pensinger

After a trade from high-profile Washington to last-place Colorado and a season-ending injury, Tomas Fleischmann quickly fell under the radar. This means teams can probably sign him for a bargain. On the electrifying 2010 Washington Capitals offense, Fleischmann put up 51 points.

He'll be on a similarly powerful offense in Pittsburgh. Even if he doesn't play with Malkin and Crosby, Fleischmann has shown he can score on his own. He was scoring at a point per game pace before getting hurt, but unfortunately for him the injury overshadows his production, and because of this the Penguins can get make an attempt to get him under $2 million.

He made $2.6 million last year, but the fact that he's coming off an injury will definitely decrease his value. At the right price the Penguins should definitely jump on the opportunity.