Penguins contract status

Here is the contract status for each of the players that was on the big club's roster at some point this season (not including the guys we traded away). I sorted them by age.

Here's a fun, yet scary question - how many players from this list do the Pens have under contract beyond next season? The answer is FOUR - Crosby, Whitney, Gonchar and Letang. Obviously, anyone that is a restricted free agent can be kept at the option of the club, but still... only four? I was surprised.

Here's a great reference for looking up these pieces of information:
http://www.nhlscap.com/salarynumbers/pittsburgh.htm

Unrestricted free agent - can sign with anyone
27 years old OR seven years in NHL
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Kris Beech - Age 27 - Signed one-year contract with Columbus 8-7-07 as UFA
Adam Hall - Age 27 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 10-1-07 as UFA
Brooks Orpik - Age 27 - Signed two-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-23-06 as RFA
Ryan Malone - Age 28 - Signed two-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-28-06 as RFA
Pascal Dupuis - Age 29 - Signed one-year contract with Atlanta 7-1-07 as UFA
Marian Hossa - Age 29 - Signed three-year contract with Ottawa 8-23-05 as RFA
Mark Eaton - Age 31 - Signed two-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-3-06 as UFA
Georges Laraque - Age 31 - Signed two-year contract with Phoenix 7-5-06 as UFA
Jarkko Ruutu - Age 32 - Signed two-year contract with Pens 7-4-06
Ty Conklin - Age 32 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-19-07 as UFA
Alain Nasreddine - Age 32 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-23-07 as UFA
Gary Roberts - Age 42 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-22-07 as UFA

Restricted free agent
off of entry-level contract but not old enough to be UFA
must be tendered a "qualifying offer" to retain rights
once rights are retained, any contract offers from other teams can be matched
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Marc-Andre Fleury - Age 23 - Signed two-year contract with Pittsburgh 8-5-06 as RFA
Jonathan Filewich - Age 23 - end of entry-level contract
Ryan Stone - Age 23 - end of entry-level contract
Tim Brent - Age 24 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 7-20-07 as RFA
Connor James - Age 25 - Signed one-year contract with Pittsburgh 6-19-07 as UFA

Under Contract
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Jordan Staal - Age 19 - on entry-level contract - will be RFA after 08-09
Sidney Crosby - Age 20 - Signed through 2012-13
Kris Letang - Age 21 - on entry-level contract - will be RFA after 09-10
Tyler Kennedy - Age 21 - on entry-level contract - will be RFA after 08-09
Evgeni Malkin - Age 21 - on entry-level contract - will be RFA after 08-09
Alex Goligoski - Age 22 - on entry-level contract - will be RFA after 08-09
Maxime Talbot - Age 24 - Signed through 08-09
Ryan Whitney - Age 25 - Signed through 2012-13
Nathan Smith - Age 26 - Signed through 08-09
Chris Minard - Age 26 - Signed through 08-09
Jeff Taffe - Age 27 - Signed through 08-09
Dany Sabourin - Age 27 - Signed through 08-09
Rob Scuderi - Age 29 - Signed through 08-09
Petr Sykora - Age 31 - Signed through 08-09
Hal Gill - Age 33 - Signed through 08-09
Sergei Gonchar - Age 34 - Signed through 09-10
Darryl Sydor - Age 36 - Signed through 08-09