"If either Sergei Gonchar or Dan Hamhuis want to play for the Penguins, each veteran defenseman is likely short on hours to make that happen.

The NHL free-agent period that opens at noon Thursday is a world of unknowns, and the Penguins are going after defensemen who will help upgrade the current corps.

That won't change.

The players they wanted were Gonchar and Hamhuis, hence months of contract discussions with the former and a trade last weekend to acquire exclusive negotiating rights with the latter.

However, if Gonchar and Hamhuis opt to test the market - an increasingly likely scenario after Tuesday night arrived without progress on deals for either player - the Penguins will have moved on with a plan to pursue other available free-agent defensemen by Thursday morning.

This free-agent crop is top heavy with potential impact defensemen, a group for which Gonchar and Hamhuis rate among the top options. Those two players are also the best options for the Penguins, too. Each is top-pairing quality with two-way skills - Gonchar geared more to offense and Hamhuis to defense.

Still, the Penguins already have identified other potential free agents who could fill the roles targeted for each player. Tampering rules prevent general manager Ray Shero from identifying names of defensemen on his wish list, but the agents for players on that list will be phoned by about 12:05 a.m. tomorrow - guaranteed.

The Penguins will land a couple of those names, too. Their situation is too inviting for most targeted players to pass up. Consider the sales pitch several within the franchise have made to Hamhuis, who heard the Penguins are:

• Contractually tied for the next three seasons to the league's top group of centers (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal) and a Stanley Cup-winning goalie (Marc-Andre Fleury).

• Run by ownership committed to spending at the salary cap; a modern management structure; and a progressive-thinking coaching staff."