Pittsburgh Penguins All-Time Draft - (Round 25)

[mikey287]

on my phone, just checking in...stackhouse is a very good pick (he was my next selection). Trading ok, I would like to ok it first if I could...but i'm assuming it's just moving up in a round and down in another, I see nothing wrong with it...

[dman66]

With the #25 pick, and first pick of the 5th round, the Left Wing Locks are pleased to add:

LW - #18 Lowell MacDonald



Vitals:
5-11, 185lbs.
Shoots - R

Two time All Star (1973, 1974)
3 times 20 or more goals (also had a 27g campaign)
Part of the Pens 'Century Line'
1973 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winner

Place in Pens history:
17th all time in goals
24th in assists
21st in points
19th in points per game

MacDonald missed basically two seasons due to a knee injury, but was able to put up his 3 30+g and 27g season after the injury. His last two seasons, he combined to play 22 games due to shoulder injuries, but he automatically gives my second line a legit scoring threat.

[Gaucho]

Sergei Gonchar, D



From Wiki: From the 2000-01 season to the 2009-10 season, Gonchar tallied exactly 500 points, which was second among NHL defensemen only to Nicklas Lidstrom's 550 points. Gonchar was also second among NHL defensemen in assists during that span with 372 assists, behind Lidstrom's 434 assists. However, he led the league in goals by a defenseman during that span, scoring 128 goals.

Clearly one of the premier offensive defensemen and PP quarterbacks of his generation, the Sarge, after a somewhat difficult start, established himself as the team's undisputed #1 defenseman, garnering some Norris Trophy consideration along the way. While his accomplishments will hopefully and eventually be surpassed by [undrafted], I feel that at this point Gonchar is still ahead of him, if not by much.

His numbers as a Penguin: 322 GP, 54 G, 205 A. Playoffs: 60G, 7 G, 37 A.

Edit: Comparing Gonchar's stats to Coffey's is just mind blowing - Coffey appeared in 9 more games and had 179 more points. Which pretty much tells you what an awesome offensive force Coffey was.

[mikey287]

Good picks guys, both high on my lists. Careful not to include non-Penguin accomplishments in your bios/descriptions/whatever though. Nice to see the picks getting a little bit of description with them, the group is getting the hang of it fast.

[mikey287]

I'm not sure how the group feels on this, but I feel Kris Letang is one elite season away from surpassing Sergei Gonchar's time here. Letang has two top-10 Norris finishes in the last two years (including in a season where he played only 51 games! pretty rare to get so much recognition with so much time missed). I think Gonchar had 2 top-10 Norris runs and then a 14th or so. Letang has two top-10's already and I think if he can get another fringe-Norris candidate season (much less, an actual Norris), I think we can swap their spots. In fact, I think Letang jumps quite a few spots if that happens.

In my mind coming in, I had Letang in the "Rick Kehoe" area. Kehoe better longevity, limited peak, one-dimensional. Letang higher peak, less longevity, growing dimensionally. I know it's different positions and what not, but I really think Letang is already a noteworthy defenseman in our history.



D Kris Letang

Just speaking in terms of my team. Dave Burrows-Kris Letang top pairing...oh my...those guys can cover some ice, I'll tell you what...Burrows could skate faster backwards than most forwards could skate forward and Letang just eats up ice laterally...

[Gaucho]

I'm not sure how the group feels on this, but I feel Kris Letang is one elite season away from surpassing Sergei Gonchar's time here.

Exactly my point, that's why I picked that image. Don't you dare and short-change Rick Kehoe, though.

[dman66]

I agree on Letang at this point. I would take Gonchar, but it's really close. My last round choice was between Stackhouse and Gonchar. Gonchar could do just about everything when he was here though.

[Rylan]

With the 28th pick in the draft, the Degloving Kings are proud to select from Thunder Bay, ON

Jordan Staal, C



Drafting based on Staal's solid to premiere defensive prowess with some scoring ability. A former Calder Cup and Selke finalist Jordan Staal emerged as a major part of the Pittsburgh Penguins as a 2nd line center talent playing 3rd line and PK. An all-around jack of all trades type, Staal was an integral part to the Stanley Cup runs and eventually being a part of the championship team.

In his time as a Penguin he amassed 120 G, 128 A for a total of 248 points. For the better part of his career he was durable and played 81+ games in all but 2 of his seasons with the Penguins.

[Gaucho]

Good pick.

[mikey287]

Yeah, I think this is a pretty good place for Staal also. He was on my "due up" radar. I think he has three top-15 Selke finishes. As you said, big part of a Stanley Cup winner. We'll come to realize that the further down you get the more the names kind of blur. If Staal goes now or four picks from now, I'm not sure anyone bats an eyelash...

@Gaucho: haha, not trying to shortchange Rick Kehoe. Quality player, very good for this "level" of play. Lot of goals there, adjusted numbers or not. Even though he wasn't physical (far, far from it), he scored a lot of goals from in tight. Wasn't just a top-of-the-circle bomber...

[Rylan]

I have to admit mikey, this was an awesome idea. This is incredibly fun!

[Gaucho]

I have to admit mikey, this was an awesome idea. This is incredibly fun!

[dman66]

I agree. This is pretty awesome!

[mikey287]

Terrific! So glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it, I am as well - I've been big on history for the last few years now and have learned so much in that time. I thought I knew hockey before...not even close...there's so much more out there to study!

If anyone gets a chance to read the goaltending profiles that I posted today (Barrasso, Fleury, Binkley), I'd be curious to hear any thoughts from them. Was it about as you expected? Did it change the order that you had them in your mind? Or is there too much out there still to be discussed/researched before anything conclusive can be derived? Doesn't have to be now, but I'd be curious from not only this group of five + myself, but also others that have been following this (I see the page views are very high, so I know many are reading right along).

For me, to be honest, it tightened the space between Barrasso and Fleury.

EDIT: I should also note. Binkley didn't face his first NHL shot until he was nearly 33.5 years old! Wasn't a young guy that came in thanks to expansion and fizzled out because he wasn't good enough. He was an old guy that finally got his chance. Highly regarded in the AHL during a time when I believe it was at its peak (consider talent pool vs. NHL jobs). Of course, that AHL stuff is non-Pens related.

[Rylan]

It was tough for me, but IMO I couldn't really separate one from the other and felt that either right now is a solid choice. It is a case of 1a. and 1b. with neither having a significant edge over the other. Both are top notch goalies.

[meow]

I'm on my tablet so I'm going to keep this short.
Darius Kasparaitis

[MRandall25]

You bastard ;)

[meow]

You bastard ;)

I'm surprised at the number of times people have said something to that effect. I guess we are all on the same page/pretty consistent on who should go when.

[MRandall25]

I'm having a hard time with this one. Have a few players in mind, but I think they're reaches at this point.

[meow]

There is no wrong pick. Go with your gut

[MRandall25]

Last pick of the 5th Round:

Rick Tocchet.

179 points in 2.5 years with the team. 19 points in the 1992 SC Playoffs, which was 5th among the team as they won their 2nd straight Stanley Cup.

First pick of the 6th round is still being debated.

[pcm]

Sorry to play spoiler, but are Syl Apps and Brooks Orpik really still on the table?

[MRandall25]

Sorry to play spoiler, but are Syl Apps and Brooks Orpik really still on the table?

Syl Apps was picked in the 1st or 2nd round.

[Rylan]

Syl Apps was drafted by mikey in the 3rd round

[meow]

Excellent pick. Excellent