It's part two of MOP's hockey preview 2005-06, and I'm having a blast.  Philadelphia was fun, but few teams are as fun to look at on paper as the Penguins.  Pittsburgh's obviously had some tough times hockey-wise the last few years, but with what many are billing as the next big thing in Sidney Crosby and a reportedly healthy Mario Lemieux, not to mention a host of big free agent signings, this team could be as much fun to watch on the ice as they are to look at onpaper.

Note once again that these previews will appear, two a day, until the season starts on October 5th.  They will be put on-site by division, roughly in order of predicted finish.  Note that the rookies listed are only those most likely to make the team, not necessarily ones who have already sewn up a spot, and surprises always occur in training camp.  The In/Out portion represents significant players added and lost since the end of the 2003-04 season.  And now, on with the show...

In: Sergei Gonchar, Mark Recchi, Ziggy Palffy, Jocelyn Thibault, John Leclair, Steve Poapst, Andre Roy, Lyle Odelein, Ryan Vandenbussche

Out: Jean-Sebastien Aubin, Ramzi Abid, Matt Bradley, Kris Beech, Michal Rozsival, Kelly Buchberger, Alexei Morozov, Steve McKenna, Mike Eastwood

Rookies: Sidney Crosby, Ryan Whitney, Marc-Andre Fleury, Rob Scuderi, Shane Endicott, Colby Armstrong, Michel Ouellet

Pittsburgh also made a huge splash in free agency, bringing in Recchi in the 2004 off season, and Leclair, Palffy, Odelein, Poapst, and Gonchar this summer, while also adding goaltending help in Thibault.  While the health of Mario Lemieux is still a huge factor in how well the Penguins do, it's no longer the only factor.

Strengths: 1. In Lemieux, Crosby, Palffy, Recchi, LeClair, and Ryan Malone up front, as well as Gonchar and Dick Tarnstrom on defense, the Penguins have assembled the kind of offensive firepower that frightens the opposition.  Palffy is a legitimate scoring star in this league, and while no one's quite sure how much production the team will get out of Crosby, the young wunderkind, Gonchar, Recchi and Leclair are proven commodities, while Tarnstrom led the team in points and Malone had a great rookie season in 2003-04.  A power play of Lemieux, Crosby, Palffy, Gonchar and Tarnstrom could be a real thing of beauty.

2. In Thibault, the Penguins have finally added some stability to a goaltending situation that has had none since Tom Barrasso's heyday.  Since 1998-99, five seasons ago, Pittsburgh has had eleven goaltenders play for them and no less than five different men labelled as the starter.  Now, finally, if Thibault can stay healthy, they have a veteran who can win them some games, or at the very least play mentor and smooth the way for future star Marc-Andre Fleury.

Weaknesses: 1. While Pittsburgh's free agent moves did a lot to shore up their defense and wings, they did very little to address what has become a glaring hole at center.  With the team unable to get 2004 first round draft pick Evgeni Malkin to North America, the trading of Kris Beech, and the loss of Milan Kraft to the Russian League, the Pens are woefully short on centers.  With Crosby, Lemieux, and Lasse Pirjeta, there are only three proven NHL centers on the roster, and that's discounting the fact that everyone wants Crosby and Lemieux to play on the same line.  Unless Crosby shows an as-yet unseen ability in the faceoff circle, the Penguins aren't going to win too many faceoffs either, and don't have many offensive line options beyond him.

2. To say that Eddie Olczyk is an inexperienced coach is perhaps a little unfair.  He did, after all, have what would've been his second NHL season wiped out by a lockout.  But Eddie O leapt straight from the ice to the broadcast booth to the bench, when others who have paid their dues were overlooked.  Sure, Eddie O looked good late in 2003-04, when he led the Pens on a nice little winning streak late in the season, but that team was already far out of the playoffs with little to no expectations.  This season's Penguins are different; Eddie O's got a lot more guys closer to his age now who are going to recognize when he's in over his head, whereas the 2003-04 Pens were too young to know any better.  Eddie O needs to get the respect of his vets right away if he's going to get this team in a playoff spot.  It helps that Lemieux believes in him, but that confidence could go sour very quickly if this team underachieves early and owner Lemieux sees fan interest waning.

Don't Be Surprised If: Palffy leads this team in points, not Crosby or Lemieux.  Palffy has, when healthy, quietly been one of the leagues most efficient scorers of the last decade.  All he really needs is a centre who can get him the puck, and he'll have lots of time with Crosby, Lemieux, or both, not to mention all the power play minutes he can handle.

Outlook: With the Devils in decline and the Rangers and Islanders uncertain, the Penguins have a good shot at second in the division, and with good health, the playoffs are almost a given, though listing this team as a Cup contender would be premature.  Check back in a few seasons.

Roster

Centers: 1. Mario Lemieux  2. Sidney Crosby  3. Lasse Pirjeta  4. Rico Fata  5. Shane Endicott

Wingers: 1. Ziggy Palffy  2. Mark Recchi  3. John Leclair  4. Ryan Malone  5. Konstantin Koltsov  6. Tomas Surovy  7. Andre Roy  8. Ryan Vandenbussche  9. Michel Ouellet  10. Colby Armstrong

Defensemen: 1. Sergei Gonchar  2. Dick Tarnstrom  3. Ric Jackman  4. Steve Poapst  5. Ryan Whitney  6. Brooks Orpik  7. Lyle Odelein  8. Josef Melichar  9. Rob Scuderi

Goalies: 1. Jocelyn Thibault  2. Marc-Andre Fleury  3. Andy Chiodo  4. Sebastien Caron

Restricted Free Agents: Aleksey Morozov (W), Martin Strbak (D)