"With the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins select Sidney Crosby."
Those words will be said in about a week, and it should signify a new era of Penguins hockey. Gone are the days of Super Mario (well, almost), Ron Francis, Mark Recchi (oh wait, he's back for more), Jaromir Jagr, Alexei Kovalev, and all of the other superstars that populated the Penguins roster during the 1990s. Instead, there's a bunch of kids, the crown jewel of which is going to be Sidney Crosby.
Will this be enough to win over the masses that have left the Igloo and all of the suffering that has happened since the team dismantled several years ago?
The very fact that Sidney Crosby is going to the Penguins, who desperately need a new face and a new building, has some mild conspiracy theorists pointing fingers. With the constant threats of the team moving, the last legs of Mario Lemieux — the last true NHL superstar — and a building that spells financial disaster for a team with a pretty good hockey tradition, Pittsburgh was a “safe" choice if there was indeed a fix in the lottery.
Most likely, the fix was never in and it was just fate that joined Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux. But Mr. Crosby's got his work cut out for him. However, he's got a pretty good supporting cast to help him out. Besides Sidney Crosby, here are the reasons for Penguins fans to be optimistic.
Marc-Andre Fleury — His time in the NHL lasted about half a season. In that span, he had some great games and some awful games, just like any other rookie should. However, Fleury's good games were really good, so much so that despite the rookie mistakes that he made, many hockey observers are still ready to anoint him as the next great goaltender. Keep in mind that Roberto Luongo didn't develop for several seasons, and Rick Dipietro is just coming to his own now, so give young Fleury a little bit more time.
Evgeni Malkin — The 2004 draft was supposed to be the Alexander Ovechkin draft. Scouts had Malkin ranked second behind the cocky Ovechkin, and Pittsburgh happily gobbled him up with the second overall pick. During the lockout, World Junior Championship watchers got a chance to compare Malkin side-by-side with Ovechkin. Most agreed that Malkin appeared to be as good, if not better on some nights, as Ovechkin. Ovechkin had more flash, more brass confidence, but Malkin's passing vision and hockey sense couldn't be ignored. The fact that Malkin, arguably as good as the No. 1 pick in his draft year, and Crosby will be anchoring the Penguins attack means that Pittsburgh fans may have the next version of Mario and Jagr in their grasp.
Ryan Malone — In a woeful 2003-2004 season, Ryan Malone was one of the few bright spots for the Penguins. Fittingly, Malone is a Pittsburgh native and an NCAA graduate. Forty-three points in a season doesn't seem like a heck of a lot, but considering just how bad the Penguins were last season, it's not too bad for a kid out of St. Cloud State. Malone should prove to be a fine second liner with potential for more. He's got work ethic and skill, and for the Penguins, that's more than enough.
Dick Tarnstrom — Dick Tarnstrom literally came out of nowhere several seasons ago to become a power play stud. Fantasy team owners noticed immediately, but most of the hockey world ignored him, since Tarnstrom was stuck in Pittsburgh's dying glow. Tarnstrom has been one of the most effective power play men in the league since joining the Penguins in the 2002-2003 season. He's just on the cusp of 30, meaning he should be around to help out the Penguins as Crosby and Malkin mature and come into their own.
Aside from the stellar young talent on the Penguins, there's still Mario Lemieux and Mark Recchi to carry some load. The presence of Lemieux and Recchi won't mean as much on the ice as off the ice. Lemieux was the boyhood hero of countless young NHLers and Recchi is a respected leader in his own right. By having those two veterans take charge of the locker room, the young stars of the Penguins will have mentors more than capable of showing them how to carry themselves in the NHL.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Penguins fans can expect a Stanley Cup next season, as nice of a story as that would be. Young players need time to develop together, and the prime trio of Crosby, Malkin, and Fleury will probably not thrive for at least a few seasons. There's even question of whether or not Malkin will play in the NHL this season. And there's always the possibility that one or two of these “can't miss kids" will in fact be a bust. But the potential for another dominating Penguins team isn't too far off the horizon.
The only question that remains is whether or not the Penguins will still be in Pittsburgh by the time they are ready to compete for the Stanley Cup.
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