After the Penguins dish out contracts to a top-pairing defenseman, second-line center and winger that can play in the top-six, much, if not all, of their current $23,208,158 in cap space will be gone. It will force them into rostering multiple skaters on close to league-minimum contracts.
Drew O'Connor and Radim Zohorna, who both count $750,000 against the salary cap next season, are two of just nine forwards currently under contract by the Penguins. They figure to graduate to lineup-regulars by the start of next season. It might seem as if that's the case out of nothing more than necessity, but rest assured, both skaters have the capability to provide positive impacts at the NHL level.