Penguins
What Could Have Been; Penguins Draft Mistakes & Who Was Available
The Pittsburgh Penguins, like every other NHL club, are keenly aware that drafting teenaged hockey players is the most imprecise of sciences.
There is no way of being certain when even the most promising young player’s development will plateau. Or that he won’t suddenly stop growing. Or decide that hockey really isn’t the way he’d like to earn a living, after all.
Which is why, for every Mario Lemieux or Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid who exceeds even the most unreasonable expectations that come with being the first player selected in his draft year, there is a Nail Yakupov or Patrik Stefan or Alexandre Daigle who also went first overall, but whose greatest impact in the NHL might be as the answer to a trivia question.
All three of the players the Pittsburgh Penguins have chosen No. 1 overall — Marc-Andre Fleury was the other — worked out quite nicely, but the same can’t be said of more than a few of their picks they’ve made later in the first round over the years.
Here’s a look at the worst Round 1 flubs in franchise history, and a sampling of the players who were still available when the Penguins made those unfortunate choices.
1975 — Gordie Laxton (13th overall). He was touted as the franchise’s goaltender of the future. That future still hasn’t arrived.
Who they could have had: Pierre Mondou (15th), Dennis Maruk (21st) or Doug Jarvis (24th)
1982 — Rich Sutter (10th overall). He will go down as the least accomplished of the six Sutter brothers who reached the NHL, and was pointless (in several ways) in nine games here before being traded to Philadelphia, where he was reunited with his twin, Ron.
Who they could have had: Dave Andreychuk (16th), Ken Daneyko (18th) or Patrick Flatley (21st).
1984 — Roger Belanger (16th overall). Getting Lemieux and Doug Bodger earlier in Round 1 assured this would be an epic draft for the franchise. Good thing, too, since Belanger got into just 44 games with the Penguins during his only season in the NHL.
Who they could have had: Stephane Richer (29), Patrick Roy (51) or Brett Hull (117).
1994 — Chris Wells (24th overall). After putting up two goals and two assists in 54 games with the Penguins, Wells made his biggest contribution to them by netting Stu Barnes and Jason Woolley in a trade with Florida.
Who they could have had: Jose Theodore (44), Patrik Elias (51) or Milan Hejduk (87).
1996 — Craig Hillier (23rd overall). At least Gordie Laxton made it into 17 NHL games, which is 17 more than the Penguins’ next “goalie of the future” appeared in.
Who they could have had: Daniel Briere (24), Matt Cullen (35) or Zdeno Chara (56).
1997 — Robert Dome (17th overall). Dome was purported to be NHL-ready after a stint in the International Hockey League, and his selection caused quite a buzz in the draft at the Civic Arena. Which probably was the last time he created any excitement there.
Who they could have had: Scott Hannan (23), Brenden Morrow (25) or Brian Campbell (156).
2007 — Angelo Esposito (20th overall). The Pittsburgh Penguins gambled by taking Esposito, who once had been a near-consensus choice as the top player available in this draft. That gamble did not pay off. Not even a little.
Who they could have had: Max Pacioretty (22), P.K. Subban (43) or Jamie Benn (129).
2012 — Derrick Pouliot (8th overall). Pouliot skates well and showed some genuine offensive talent, but he’s put up more than 12 points just once since entering the NHL.
Who they could have had: Filip Forsberg (11), Colton Parayko (86) or Jaccob Slavin (120). Oh, and the Penguins also could have claimed Jacob Trouba, who went to Winnipeg immediately after they picked Pouliot, or Tom Wilson, taken 16th overall by Washington.
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Wow, the 2012 one in particular really gets to me.
I don’t think anyone predicted at the time that the No. 8 pick in that draft would be the least valuable asset the Penguins would get out of the Staal trade.
Groan, gag, barf!!!
But how do you REALLY feel, sir?
I remember when the Pens took Rich Sutter who didn’t want to play here so he dogged it. Glad he did!
He definitely was better with the Flyers than he had been here, but Sutter never lived up to his pedigree.
Exactly! It was even reported he purposely wasn’t playing to his potential. If my memory serves me right he even admitted he didn’t want to play here after being traded.
That Poulet pick was awful- should of been forsberg all day-couldnt believe they passed on him. It was Shero-so that part of it doesnt surprise me. MAATTA kinda was a disappointment too, never developed into the player I thought he could be.
Pouliot is a great example of a guy whose promising game never developed the way it could/should have after he turned pro. He had the potential to be a productive offensive defenseman in the NHL, but his total of his game never came close to equaling the sum of its parts. And Maatta had a number of health issues — most notably, a bout with cancer — that impeded him, but he ultimately was limited most by his mediocre skating. That said, the guy has played over 500 NHL games and is still in the league, so he’s accomplished a… Read more »
Wasn’t Pouliot a bit off the board at #8 or a bit of a surprise pick where they took him? I thought I remembered some article written on that. But, that’s a decade ago so…
If you his skating suffered terribly when he was shoved into the open door at the opponents bench (unpenalized)
So the question to ponder, will this years pick make this list?
This team is such a colossal bore, I now can name six Pittsburgh Pirates . . .
What a great way to support your team. Well wait, I forgot your not a true penguins supporter. You know what’s a colossal bore. Your endless criticism and complaining about the organization. Feel free to jump on another teams bandwagon. I think the avalanche are taking on new fans.
Beat ’em, Bucs!
I’m a die hard supporter of the pirates as well. We got a great young team. With more young talent on the way. Although I will understand criticism of bob nutting’s ownership. He deserves criticism.
The Buccos are gonna shock the world!
Absolutely!!
Although Greg Polis the Penguins #1 pick at number 7 in 1970 wasn’t bad (at least he made an All Star team and if not mistaken was the MVP) the next pick after him was Toronto and they got… Darryl Sittler.
Polis was, in fact, MVP of the 1973 All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, a feat Sittler never matched. Then again, Polis never had a 10-point game in the NHL, as Sittler did in 1976. (Of course, no other player in league history has put up double-digit points in a single game, either.)
I will never forget the 2012 draft. I was so mad we landed Pouliot in that draft. I was ecstatic to land Maatta since he dropped to us in that draft. I was hoping they traded back with the Carolina pick and landed a winger. Oh well. Hindsight if only we could time travel.
The biggest “What If” is Patrik Roy when Lemieux was drafted. That would have set us up for a potential dynasty like the Islanders or Oilers.