If ever a team was destined for failure, it was the 1983-84 Pittsburgh Penguins. Only a season removed from a rousing near-miss against the powerhouse Islanders in the 1982 playoffs, the Pens had fallen on hard times with a pronounced thud. Long-time general manager Baz Bastien tragically died as the result of a car accident the previous spring. In one of his final moves he unwittingly traded the first overall choice in the 1983 Entry Draft to Minnesota—a pick that could’ve netted the team Peterborough scoring sensation Steve Yzerman.
The club’s new GM, Eddie Johnston, surveyed the rubble with an unflinching eye.