Cover letter: List strangers as potential collaborators? And/or, can/should I be contacting them? From The Professor Is In and from other sources, I've gotten the impression that it's very good practice to refer to possible collaborators both within and outside of your department or academic unit. This makes sense to me. Doing so demonstrates that you're not just applying blindly, but rather have thought through how you fit in on that particular campus. It also makes the sale that you're a good fit with the folks already there.

I'm unsure if this practice should start at the cover letter. Is it appropriate to mention potential collaborators (either within or outside of my targeted dept) whom I don't know in the cover letter?

Talking about working with people I don't know feels a little bit pretentious--how on earth should I know what they want to collaborate on?--but I can get over it if I have incentive.

Meanwhile, it also feels natural that I should be contacting these potential collaborators if I'm sincere about thinking there's potential to work together. OTOH academia's a bit emphatic (relative to industry) about recusal so contacting such people might seem pushy, or even like trying to cheat. 

Is it OK to contact potential collaborators at the institution/in the department to which I'm applying? Is it ever expected?
I think your need to trust your instinct that this kind of 'name dropping' is pretentious and avoid it.

By contrast, if you have carefully read someone's papers and truly believe you might
want work on a closely related topic, then you might mention
that as a one possibility. 

Personal mentions can backfire as often as they may have some positive
effect. For example, suppose you make a strong case in your application that you really want
to work with Prof X. But Prof X is about to go on sabbatical or to change
universities. So the hiring committee figures you're not such a
marvelous fit to the department after all. 

However, I think you are right to realize that it is helpful to show that
you have background, interests, focus and organizational ability that will make you an
asset to the department.  Obviously, it should be clear in your mind
why you want to be accepted. Giving some inkling (without being pretentious)
of why they should accept you is a good idea.