by Rob Rossi , Pittsburgh Tribune Review

He likely came back to spend one last full day as a Penguin .

"It's been on my mind, but I'm not obsessed with it," Scuderi said of the likelihood that he will become an unrestricted free agent today at noon. "I'm trying to enjoy it. I mean, it's nerve-wracking, but I'm not consumed by it and I won't let it bother me."

The Penguins did not reach agreements with any of their eight impending unrestricted free agents yesterday ? including key targets Scuderi, fellow defenseman Hal Gill and winger Ruslan Fedotenko.

General manager Ray Shero said he expects all eight players to hit the open market at noon, and offers from any of 29 other NHL teams will pledge longer term and higher salary than the cap-concerned Penguins can match.

With 17 regulars under contract for next season the Penguins are only $5,582,000 under the $56,8000,000 salary ceiling. More damaging to their chances of keeping Scuderi, Gill and Fedotenko ? all seeking multi-year deals ? is $40,183,000 committed to 12 players for 2010-11, when the cap, by conservative estimates, is expected to drop by at least $4,000,000.

"The cap has increased by $5 to $6 million every year the last three years; now it's up just $100,000 and next year who knows," Shero said. "So many teams are in the same position, and for these free agents coming out (today) it's a little bit more difficult to get (long-term) deals."

The going-rate for a defenseman of Scuderi's pedigree: $3 million, the reported annual salary New Jersey will pay Johnny Oduya over the next three seasons.

Shero spoke yesterday of looming talks on extensions for defensemen Sergei Gonchar ($5 million cap hit) and Kris Letang ($835,000).

It appears unlikely the Penguins could afford another $3-million defenseman. Gonchar would earn at least that on an extension, Letang figures to approach it and Brooks Orpik will count $3,750,000 against the cap for five additional seasons.

The Penguins could offer a long-term deal to Scuderi, 30, if they planned to part ways with defenseman Mark Eaton ($2 million), who along with Gonchar and Letang is entering his final contract year.

Scuderi is high on the wish list for Tampa Bay, whose head scout, Greg Malone, was with the Penguins when they drafted Scuderi in 1998, and Minnesota, whose general manager is former Shero assistant Chuck Fletcher.

Former Penguins winger Ryan Malone, a Pittsburgh-born product who parted ways with the organization last season, said Scuderi is torn between his options.

"I asked him if he was excited, but I could tell this is tough on him," Malone said. "It's tough to let go. It was for me, especially. But like with me, for 'Scuds' this isn't just a decision about him; it's about his family and their future."

There is seemingly no scenario for the Penguins to keep Scuderi - who along with Gill, 34, formed the team's top shutdown defense pairing last season - and Fedotenko, a scoring-line winger that redeemed his reputation as a proven playoff producer during the club's run to the Stanley Cup.

Shero was not close to a deal yesterday with Fedotenko, 30. However, he and Fedotenko's agent are expected to engage in talks again this morning.

Also, the Penguins and winger Petr Sykroa are considering his potential return on a one-year deal. Sykora, 32, scored 25 goals in the regular season but appeared in only seven playoff games.

NOTE: Scuderi and Orpik joined former teammates Malone and Ryan Whitney as part of 34 invitees to the United States Olympic men's ice Hockey orientation camp from Aug. 17-19 in Woodridge, Ill. USA Hockey hopes to finalize in late-December its roster for the 2010 Winter Games at Vancouver in February.

Tip of the cap

The free-agent season opens at noon today. A breakdown of the Penguins' salary-cap commitments for next season and 2010-11 indicates the reason GM Ray Shero cannot afford to offer long-term deals:

2009-10 NHL cap: $56.8M ??2010-11 NHL cap: TBD

2009-10 Pens salaries: $51.2M ??2010-11 Pens salaries: $40.2M

Name: 2009-10 cap hit ??2010-11 cap hit

Sidney Crosby: $8.7 million ?$8?.7 million

Evgeni Malkin: $8.7 million ? $8.7 million

Jordan Staal: $4 million ? $4 million

Chris Kunitz: $3.725 million ? $3.725 million

Bill Guerin: $2 million* ? N/A

Pascal Dupuis: $1.4 million ? $1.4 million*

Matt Cooke: $1.2 million* ? N/A

Max Talbot: $1.050 million ? $1.050 million#

Eric Godard: $750,000 ? $750,000*

Tyler Kennedy: $725,000 ? $725,000#

Craig Adams: $550,000 ? $550,000*

Sergei Gonchar: $5 million* ? N/A

Brooks Orpik: $3.75 million ? $3.75 million

Mark Eaton: $2 million* ? N/A

Alex Goligoski: $1.833 million ? $1.833 million

Kris Letang: $835,000# ? N/A

Marc-Andre Fleury: $5 million ? $5 million

*?Unrestricted free agent following season

#?Restricted free agent following season

Unrestricted update

Beat reporter Rob Rossi gives the lowdown on activity between the Penguins and their players who can become unrestricted free agents at noon today:

LW Ruslan Fedotenko: Had yet to receive offer late Tuesday.

D Rob Scuderi: Will give Penguins chance to match best open-market offer.

D Hal Gill: Will stay in contact with Penguins while fielding offers.

C Mike Zigomanis: Return appears unlikely.

RW Petr Sykora: Return is under consideration.

RW Miroslav Satan: Return very unlikely.

D Philippe Boucher: Return possible if Scuderi and Gill bolt.

G Mathieu Garon: Return very unlikely.

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