PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Background:
The Pens have hit the highs and lows in their 3 years of existence. The team was the Franchise NHL Stanley Cup finalist in 2010-11, then dropped to 25th overall in 2011-12 under new ownership and redeemed itself in 2012-13 placing 8th, yet again under a new owner (izaman3) who has since moved on to take possession of the
franchise.
This year:
Currently under league ownership, the Penguins look to maintain a stable but competitive presence until a competent new owner steps up
to purchase the team (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS). But what a team they would inherit. The minor league system is loaded with Franchise NHL-ready prospects including:
C - Nick Bjugstad (2010: 1/19 - 11 Games)
C - Vincent Trocheck (2011: 3/64 - 0 Games)
RW - Beau Bennett (2010: 1/20 - 16 Games)
RW - Tom Kuhnhackl (2010: 4/110 - 0 Games)
D - Robert Bortuzzo (2007: 3/78 - 21 Games)
Meanwhile, the parent club features All-World superstars Crosby, Spezza, Parise, plus a supporting cast of Kunitz, Brunner, Doan, Markov to name a few regular point producers. Young Swedish netminder Jacob Markström tends net.
Strengths:
MiLR
Young potential starting goalie
Excellent core of forwards
Weaknesses:
Lacks of scoring on Defense
Needs:
New owner
Depth on Defense
Future Outlook:
Pittsburgh Penguins have maintained a high level of performance with good ownership and some savvy transactions in their history. With the nucleus of the team intact for the 2013-14 season, there's no reason to doubt the team will compete for a spot in the Top 10 again.
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