The Penguins have prioritized which of their three prominent free-agents-to-be are most important to re-sign.
Of course, the order in which Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust and Kris Letang appear on that list is a closely guarded secret, about as likely to be made public as a detailed breakdown of Mario Lemieux's personal finances.
One thing, though, seems clear: If all three are intent on staying, who actually returns for 2022-23 might be determined by a cutthroat competition worthy of a reality TV show.
That's because, while management hasn't ruled out the possibility that all three will be back -- "People are going to have to be reasonable with their contract expectations," president of hockey operations Brian Burke said.