2009 NHL Draft marked beginning of defensive rebuild for Pittsburgh Penguins

[HF Article]

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The 2009 NHL off-season was one of the most important in Pittsburgh Penguins history as it marked their first Stanley Cup parade in over 15 years. The off-season also marked a major transition period for the Penguins as General Manager Ray Shero and his management team used the opportunity to rebuild the organization's then-barren defensive pool.



The rebuild, which is now in its fifth year, has already paid major dividends for the Penguins organization. They have been able to regularly supplement an NHL roster that currently leads the league in man-games lost to injury without missing a beat. Just as importantly, the organization is positioned well for the long-term and should be able to replace any veteran defensemen who leave via free agency.… read more



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[Tender Rip]

Maatta - from 2012 - is the only D-man drafted since then to be a regular. Shero had drafted numerous D-men in the previous years also.
In the mean time we have acquired numerous D-men through free agency and trade.

Seems a non-article to me.

 

[#66]

It was the start of a new era and the Pens going so gaga for defense.

I can get past the Pens drafting so much defense the past few years but that 2009 draft gets my blood boiling.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Article seemed to take a strange tack IMO. The title was that 2009 was the start of a defensive rebuild, then you mention a couple of good D drafted, then a couple forwards and defensive busts... and that's the end of the article? What about the rest of the rebuild? Harrington, Pouliot, Maatta not worthy of mention in that written part of the article? Seemed a little bit of a strange way to it but that's just me. Maybe the article was about 2009 and not the rebuild but I was expecting a longer commentary on the rebuild itself.

 

[Burgs]

The article reads like it's the annual "our draft from five years ago" review HFboards has been doing for a long time. Don't get fooled by the headline.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I won't get fooled again.

 

[Burgs]

A better moniker for our 2009 draft would have been something with bloodlines as Samuelsson, Velischek and Bathgate are all sons/grandsons of former NHLers. Not that the latter two will get anywhere near that.

At least Samuelsson has improved from "Bust! Stop drafting by name!" to "Might actually have a shot" IMO. He'd be our first 2nd rounder to make it since Goligoski from 2004. Hanowski is the only other player from this draft who has a chance. He's having a decent rookie season with Abbotsford (25 points in 44 games) but since he's already 23 and scoring is all he is good for, he could get lost in the shuffle eventually.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

How?

Only one drafted Dman is playing right now and he was from 2012.