As a team that almost always trades away their first round pick on a yearly basis, the Pittsburgh Penguins talent level from players age 18-24 isn’t really that good. It’s a natural consequence of where this organization is in their franchise life-cycle. They’re about to make the current league-best 13th straight trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sidney Crosby / Evgeni Malkin era has already been a smash hit with three Cups, and more are desperately sought before the stars totally leave their primes.
The challenge is finding the right supporting players.