As the NHL free agency deadline approaches, it's Tyler Kennedy, not Jaromir Jagr, who will get the bulk of the Penguins' attention Friday morning, the Post-Gazette reports. The Penguins have already extended an offer to Jagr and they aren't planning on changing it, so in that case, there's little for them to do but wait and see if he accepts.
For Kennedy, though, they're going to be more active, and Kennedy's agent, Steve Bartlett, thinks Kennedy and the Penguins will be able to reach an agreement.
"We're continuing to feel like we're making slow, steady progress," Bartlett said. "My gut tells me we'll find a way to close the gap" ...
"I wouldn't be optimistic if there was a large gap," he said. "We're trying to grind through some ideas about [the length of the deal] and other things that affect the [salary]."
Kennedy had 21 goals and 24 assists last year, and while some of that was due to injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - meaning he's unlikely to repeat those numbers if Crosby and Malkin are healthy - he's a very nice player to have around, particularly given that the Penguins can use help at the wing positions.
The same Post-Gazette article, by the way, indicates that Mike Rupp will not be back next year.
For more on the Penguins, check out PensBurgh.