Which player has the longest "ties" to the Penguins

[Defence21]

In another thread, Mikey made a comment that got me thinking: which current Penguin has the longest "ties" to the team. In other words, free agents have short ties. Draft picks (usually) have short ties. Players acquired via trade, however, could have a lineage that goes back well before they were even in the league.

My guess is Fleury most likely has the longest "ties" to the team.

1. Fleury was drafted after the Penguins traded their 2003 1st round pick and Mikael Samuelsson to Florida for the 2003 1st overall pick.
2. Samuelsson (along with Rico Fata, Richard Lintner, and Joel Bouchard) was acquired from the New York Rangers for Alexei Kovalev (along with Dan LaCouture, Janne Laukkanen, and Mike Wilson)
3. Kovalev (along with Harry York) was acquired from the Rangers in 1998 for Petr Nedved (along with Sean Pronger and Chris Tamer).
4. Nedved (along with Sergei Zubov) was acquired from the Rangers in 1995 for Ulf Samuelsson and Luc Robitaille
5. Samuelsson (along with Ron Francis and Grant Jennings) was acquired from the Whalers in 1991 for John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski, and Jeff Parker

This is where it gets fuzzy...

6a. Zalapski wad drafted by the Penguins in 1986...which could be where this stops. OR...
6b. Cullen was acquired by the Penguins (when and for whom?)....and the lineage could continue.

It could be fun to look at some of the other players to see who else has a decently-long lineage and also seeing who they are linked to. Never would I have imagined Fleury's acquisition was distantly related to the best trade in franchise history! Kind of cool.

[Rylan]

Le Fleury's coat de arms is proven to show 6 generations of royalty serving his majesty's Penguins. Ergo, he is a noble of highest birth and thou cannot dispatch him through an exchange of nobility with another rival faction.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Per Wikipedia, Cullen was signed by the Pens as a free agent in 1988, and his first season with the team was 88-89.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cullen

[columbia]

EJ

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Also interesting is that Robitaille was traded on July 29, 1994 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in exchange for Rick Tocchet and the Penguins’ 2nd round draft pick in 1995 (Pavel Rosa).[10]

In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget, in exchange for Mark Recchi.

Recchi was drafted by the Pens in the 1988 draft.

Jeff Parker was signed as a free agent in 1991.

So it looks like the trail ends at Zalapski in 1986.

[mikey287]

Trade trees are always fun! I think Fleury takes it (though on traded picks) for current Penguins...here's a good one though:

- Penguins drafted Marc-Andre Fleury 1st overall in 2003
- The 1st overall pick was acquired from Florida for Mikael Samuelsson and picks
- Mikael Samuelsson was acquired from New York in a hilariously bad trade that included Janne Laukkanen
- Janne Laukannen came over from Ottawa with Ron Tugnutt for Tom Barrasso
- Barrasso was given to us by Buffalo with a pick for Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon
- We drafted Doug Bodger 9th overall in 1984
- We acquired the 9th overall pick from Winnipeg in exchange for Randy Carlyle and futures (Moe Mantha)
- We acquired Carlyle from Toronto with George Ferguson for Dave Burrows
- We claimed Dave Burrows from Chicago in the intra-league drafted in June 1971

It'll be difficult with current Penguins because of the overhaul that happened in 2004 and very few players survived it. It kinda reminds of me that Simpsons episode (for some reason) where they get hit by a hurricane...

Homer: Lisa, there's never been any record of a hurricane hitting Springfield...
Lisa: Yes, but the records only go back to 1978, when the Hall of Records was mysteriously blown away!

[CERV96]

EJ

[MRandall25]

Here's one:

Pens acquire James Neal and Matt Niskanen for Alex Goligoski

Pens drafted Goligoski with Vancouver's 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft in exchange for Johan Hedberg

Pens traded Jeff Norton to the Sharks to get Hedberg in 2001

That's as far as I got there... not quite as far as Fleury, but still interesting that, in a roundabout way, the 2nd most traded player in the NHL led to us getting a 35+ goal scorer.

[MRandall25]

Also interesting is that Robitaille was traded on July 29, 1994 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in exchange for Rick Tocchet and the Penguins’ 2nd round draft pick in 1995 (Pavel Rosa).[10]

In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget, in exchange for Mark Recchi.

Recchi was drafted by the Pens in the 1988 draft.

Jeff Parker was signed as a free agent in 1991.

So it looks like the trail ends at Zalapski in 1986.

Funnier thing I found while browsing: We sent Coffey to the Kings in 1992. We traded one of the guys and a pick we got for him (along with Recchi) to the Flyers for Tocchet and Wregget. We then traded Tocchet for Robitaille.

So technically, trading Coffey to the Kings got us Robitaille from the Kings, and later Nedved and Zubov from the Rangers, who got us Alexei Kovalev, who got us Mike Samuelsson, who got us Fleury.

2 different roads, same result. I feel like it may go back even further given we got Coffey in a trade from Edmonton, but I didn't look.

EDIT: I humoured myself and looked further back.

Fleury drafted in 2003
Samuelsson to Panthers for 1st, 2003
Kovalev to NYR for Samuelsson, 2003
Nedved to NYR for Kovalev, 1998
Robitaille to NYR for Nedved, 1995
Tocchet to LA for Robitaille, 1994
Brian Benning to Philly for Tocchet, 1992
Coffey to LA for Brian Benning, 1992
Moe Mantha to Edmonton for Paul Coffey, 1987
Randy Carlyle to Winnipeg for Moe Mantha, 1984
Dave Burrows to Toronto for Randy Carlyle, 1978
Dave Burrows claimed from a random Chicago league in 1971

Dave Burrows got us Marc-Andre Fleury.

[columbia]

I'm sensing a novelty website in the making....Something like this:
http://www.bandtoband.com/link/band/foo ... nd/beatles

[mac5155]

I'm thinking there's one involving either the coffey trade to the Pens or away from the pens - the one that involved K Samuelsson and Kenny Wregget.. Lots of peeps went back and forth.

[MRandall25]

I'm thinking there's one involving either the coffey trade to the Pens or away from the pens - the one that involved K Samuelsson and Kenny Wregget.. Lots of peeps went back and forth.

I just edited my Coffey post above and traced it back to Dave Burrows.

[mikey287]

The pre-Coffey route:

We acquired Coffey from Edmonton with Dave Hunter and Wayne Van Dorp in exchange for Craig Simpson, Dave Hannan, Moe Mantha and Chris Joseph

- Craig Simpson: we selected him 2nd overall in 1985 (our pick)
- Dave Hannan: we selected him 10th round, 1981 (our pick)
- Chris Joseph: we selected him 5th overall in 1987 (our pick)
- Moe Mantha came over in the Randy Carlyle trade (see: my post above)

[mikey287]

Ken Wregget route:

- Josef Beranek left for Europe shortly thereafter
German Titov was traded to Edmonton for Josef Beranek
- Todd Hlushko left for Europe shortly thereafter
Ken Wregget was sent to Calgary with Dave Roche for German Titov and Todd Hlushko
Ken Wregget came over with Rick Tocchet, Kjell Samuelsson and a pick for Mark Recchi, Brian Benning and a 1st
- Recchi was our 4th round pick in 1988 (IIRC)
Brian Benning came from Los Angeles with Jeff Chychrun and a 1st for Paul Coffey
see: Paul Coffey route above

[Gaucho]

Hobey Baker

[MRandall25]

Wow, I now just realized I said the same exact thing Mikey did, like, half an hour before I posted.

[Tico Rick]

Brent Johnson was created by Bob Johnson, who played for the Pens in 1974-75.

[mikey287]

Brent Johnson was created by Bob Johnson, who played for the Pens in 1974-75.

Bob Johnson was traded to Pittsburgh for Nick Harbaruk
Nick Harbaruk was claimed in the intra-league draft from Vancouver (WHL) in June 1969

[columbia]

Where is Pens Fan Since 1970...he would seem to fit into this.

[meow]

The Penguins had a team before 2008? Well I'm going to go cry into my blue jersey

[darkstar57]

Mario Lemieux, he saved the franchise twice, pretty easy there without him there are no players fooooorrrrever (trying to sound like the kid from thesand lot)

[mac5155]

Wow, I now just realized I said the same exact thing Mikey did, like, half an hour before I posted.

You just went with different players around the Coffey/Barrasso era

[Tico Rick]

Brent Johnson was created by Bob Johnson, who played for the Pens in 1974-75.

Bob Johnson was traded to Pittsburgh for Nick Harbaruk
Nick Harbaruk was claimed in the intra-league draft from Vancouver (WHL) in June 1969

Nick Harbaruk was drafted by GM Jack Riley, who had been the Penguins' GM since their inception in 1967. There's no longer tie than this one!

So if it weren't for Jack Riley, we wouldn't have this:

[Noise]

Fleury one is pretty impressive, wonder in the whole of the NHL which player's acquirement goes back the furthest via trades.