Nine Penguins players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at noon Wednesday, and general manager Jim Rutherford has said repeatedly that it’s unlikely any will be re-signed before then.
Nonetheless, the Penguins haven’t entirely given up on retaining at least three of them: winger Blake Comeau, and defensemen Taylor Chorney and Paul Martin.
Of those three, Martin figures to command the highest salary and thus is the least likely to return.
Nonetheless, agent Ben Hankinson, who represents Martin and Chorney, said today that he “is talking to the Penguins on both.”
Hankinson added that he expects to know whether he can strike a deal for either or both “today or tomorrow,” and acknowledged that Rutherford and his staff are exploring a number of personnel possibilities as free agency approaches.