Penguins general manager Craig Patrick has no quick and easy explanation for why he has worked out contracts with so many players lately.

"Just circumstances, I guess," he said yesterday.

Whatever the reason, Patrick has been getting a player or two under contract almost every day lately, with forwards Matt Bradley and Lasse Pirjeta the latest additions.

Bradley, who made $515,000 last season, accepted the Penguins' qualifying offer of $743,725 -- the minimum that could be extended to a 26-year-old this year -- and Pirjeta agreed to a two-year deal worth $600,000 each season.

Both were eligible to file for salary arbitration; so was defenseman Ric Jackman, who accepted a two-year deal worth $1.9 million Tuesday. Forwards Aleksey Morozov and Rico Fata have until today to request arbitration.

Patrick was noncommittal when told that agent Larry Kelly had expressed interest in working out a longer deal for Bradley, saying only that "anything that makes financial sense, I'm interested in doing."

Kelly, who also represents Pirjeta, said Pirjeta didn't balk at accepting a modest raise over the $550,000 he earned last season because he fits in so well here.

"[The Penguins are] the first team that's given him a chance to utilize his skills," Kelly said.

"If he turns out to be as good as we think he is, he'll be paid [in subsequent years]."

Pirjeta had six goals and six assists in 13 games after being acquired from Columbus for Brian Holzinger March 9. Before coming here, he had 13 goals and 18 assists in 108 career games with the Blue Jackets.

"We thought he performed very, very well," Patrick said. "Everyone was pleased what with they saw. We like his size [6 foot 4, 225 pounds], his hands, the way he goes to the net. There's a lot to like about him."

NOTES -- Jackman's contract will pay him $900,000 in 2004-05, $1,000,000 the next season. ... Right winger Eric Meloche, the Penguins' seventh-round draft choice in 1996, signed with Philadelphia. Meloche had eight goals and nine assists in 61 career games with the Penguins. ... Bradley will yield No. 8 to recently signed Mark Recchi. Bradley will switch to No. 18, which, coincidentally enough, is what Recchi wore when he broke in with the Penguins. ... The Penguins will play a "home" exhibition game (at a still-to-be-determined site) against Washington, Oct. 2 and face the Capitals at the MCI Center, Oct. 6. They will visit Columbus, Oct. 8 and play the Blue Jackets at Mellon Arena the next night.