Penguins Biggest Draft Boom and Bust Since 2000

[LastWordArmy]

As the 2020 NHL Entry Draft approaches, we decided to examine each team’s best and worst pick since the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The biggest boom is a player that had the best value relative to where they were selected. Meaning, no one in the first round will be considered a team’s best value pick. However, the biggest bust picks will almost always be in the first round. We will examine each player, why they were picked where they were, and what their NHL career was like. Today, we’ll focus on the Pittsburgh Penguins Draft Boom and their Draft Bust.

Our Article is Here
Pittsburgh Penguins Biggest Draft Boom and Bust Since 2000

Here is a taste with an Honourable Mention

Maxime Talbot

It may look weird that Maxime Talbot is up here but he was always super underrated during his time in Pittsburgh. He was picked in the eighth round of the 2002 NHL Draft by the Penguins and slowly worked his way up. His debut on the team came during Sidney Crosby’s rookie season and he was on the team all the way up till the 2010-2011 season. He would play on Evgeni Malkin‘s wing at times but he also would play in the bottom six as well. In 388 career games with the Penguins, he had 52 goals and 108 points.

Talbot was never able to have a 20 goal season with Pittsburgh but he was able to show up in the big moments. He had eight goals and 13 points during the Penguins run in 2008-2009 with the Stanley Cup winner against the Detroit Red Wings. Having an eighth-round pick in Talbot do all that damage in just six seasons with Pittsburgh is not talked about enough.

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[Empoleon8771]

Few comments:

1. Shero did not "always have issues drafting". His drafting from 2009-2013 was really strong, the Penguins got 15 players with more than 82 games played in the NHL from those 5 drafts (will be 16 once Jarry hits it). Shero had issues drafting early in his Penguins career, but he was really strong with drafting by the end of his time.
2. I have problems calling Sprong a "bust" when he's only 23 right now, was a 2nd round pick and has done really well in the AHL. I don't know that he'll become much at the NHL level, but it's way too early to call him a bust and I don't even think he'd qualify as a bust.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

No mention of "worst "hockey" ever", Shane Endicott?

 

[Goalie_Bob]

IMO, calling any 2nd round pick a bust is incorrect. And then to single out Sprong over players like; Joe Morrow, Noah Welch, Ondrej Nemec, Johannes Salmonsson and Carl Sneep.

Sprong is not even close to the 2nd or 3rd biggest bust for the Pens since 2000 if you are actually going to include 2nd round picks.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

IMO, calling any 2nd round pick a bust is incorrect. And then to single out Sprong over players like; Joe Morrow, Noah Welch, Ondrej Nemec, Johannes Salmonsson and Carl Sneep.

Sprong is not even close to the 2nd or 3rd biggest bust for the Pens since 2000 if you are actually going to include 2nd round picks.

It's hard to consider Sprong one until he finally just takes off to Europe, usually that gets you on the list of failure. But guys you mentioned, I think Morrow and Pouliot are up there for some of the worst picks/busts.

 

[K Fleur]

Talbot was anything but underrated by Pittsburgh fans.

That's what happens when you show up score your team's only two goals in their biggest game. You get to be remembered forever.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Talbot was anything but underrated by Pittsburgh fans.

That's what happens when you show up score your team's only two goals in their biggest game.

Outside of that run, Talbot was an 8th rounder that ended up being a solid bottom 6 player, I don't think he was underrated at all, I think he's a damn good success story on the team that was always claimed as such.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Well I may take issue with some things but you sure got the BIGGEST bust right on the nose.

Outstanding use of the only top ten pick the team is likely to see in like a 20ish year span.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I'd call the likes of Angelo Esposito, Keven Veilleux, Ryan Stone, Johnathan Filewich, Tomas Surovy, Luca Caputi bigger busts based off hype then a guy like Beau Bennett, Bennett at least should flashes of what he could become if he didn't have candy glass for bones.

 

[K Fleur]

Well I may take issue with some things but you sure got the BIGGEST bust right on the nose.

Outstanding use of the only top ten pick the team is likely to see in like a 20ish year span.

It's kinda crazy that the best part of the Staal trade for us was the 2nd round prospect that didn't become a full time NHLer until he was 24(Older than Staal was when Shero traded him).

 

[Peat]

I've got no problems with calling Sprong a bust compared to hopes and expectations. Maybe they were too high to begin with, but that's where he got (even if a lot of people knew he was boom or bust at that point).

At the same time though, given how everything's played out with the trade and all, he's maybe the smartest 2nd round pick the org has made in the last twenty years.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I've got no problems with calling Sprong a bust compared to hopes and expectations. Maybe they were too high to begin with, but that's where he got (even if a lot of people knew he was boom or bust at that point).

At the same time though, given how everything's played out with the trade and all, he's maybe the smartest 2nd round pick the org has made in the last twenty years.

Yeah I think this is a good take re: Sprong.

I don't personally think he'll amount to anything but he's still got a chance to make something of himself, yet. But for this team? Yeah... a bust.

But I completely agree that it was the right IDEA that just didn't work out. Just like Bennett by way of Shero.

It's kinda crazy that the best part of the Staal trade for us was the 2nd round prospect that didn't become a full time NHLer until he was 24(Older than Staal was when Shero traded him).

Hey don't forget Sutter!

How could you forget that guy?!?

 

[HandshakeLine]

I'd call the likes of Angelo Esposito, Keven Veilleux, Ryan Stone, Johnathan Filewich, Tomas Surovy, Luca Caputi bigger busts based off hype then a guy like Beau Bennett, Bennett at least should flashes of what he could become if he didn't have candy glass for bones.

Biggest bust of the bunch, IMO, and not because of him, necessarily, but because the organization tried to convert him into a gritty powerforward and he was just laughably bad at it.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Biggest bust of the bunch, IMO, and not because of him, necessarily, but because the organization tried to convert him into a gritty powerforward and he was just laughably bad at it.

And the whole racial insensitivity thing he had going for him.

 

[BHD]

Esposito is the first player I thought of. Perhaps his development was inconsequential since he was dealt less than a year after being drafted, but he certainly qualifies.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Esposito is the first player I thought of. Perhaps his development was inconsequential since he was dealt less than a year after being drafted, but he certainly qualifies.

I think he deserves to be in the conversation but I actually don't HATE the Penguins taking those kind of chances here and there. He was in the conversation as a top 3 pick at the start of that year and by the end was in a freefall. Certainly a red flag but considering where the Penguins were picking... I thought it was a decent risk to take.

In the end it didn't work out but they still got OK value out of him. I like that better than taking NA Defenseman #237295 from Portland.

 

[Gurglesons]

Is Beau really a bust?

 

[BHD]

I think he deserves to be in the conversation but I actually don't HATE the Penguins taking those kind of chances here and there. He was in the conversation as a top 3 pick at the start of that year and by the end was in a freefall. Certainly a red flag but considering where the Penguins were picking... I thought it was a decent risk to take.

In the end it didn't work out but they still got OK value out of him. I like that better than taking NA Defenseman #237295 from Portland.

Okay. I didn’t take his draft position into consideration.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Okay. I didn’t take his draft position into consideration.

Don't get me wrong, I must agree... dude was a bust.

 

[BHD]

Don't get me wrong, I must agree... dude was a bust.

Definitely. I haven’t read the article yet, but I’m sure there are guys ahead of him due to being selected higher.

I’ll always remember him for the Hossa trade.

 

[HandshakeLine]

And the whole racial insensitivity thing he had going for him.

I totally forgot about that, but yes, that too.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Esposito is the first player I thought of. Perhaps his development was inconsequential since he was dealt less than a year after being drafted, but he certainly qualifies.

Esposito's weird because injuries totally derailed him. Like Willy said, I think the reasoning behind the pick was sound, and trading him while he still had value was a really great move.

Busts are so hard to quantify though.

 

[SEALBound]

This article seems like it stemmed from an author/fan who is one of the "the Penguins did not exist before 2005 when we got Crosby". Going back and looking at 2000 to 2005, there were some real disappointments. Granted, Pouliot at 9OV busting his bestest bust is warranted, putting Sprong and Bennett up there screams recency bias.

That said, while Talbot was a great surprise considering where he was drafted. To me, his success wasn't all that unexpected given how good he was in juniors. It was always curious to me as to why he fell to such a late round (but then again, so did Zetterberg and Datsyuk so...). Therefore, I wouldn't include him in the boom list. I think we need to temper the hype on Talbot and judge him based on something other than one game where he had two goals. I mean, thanks for the goals and all but like Bonino, he was average to poor at best the vast majority of his time here.

 

[BHD]

Esposito's weird because injuries totally derailed him. Like Willy said, I think the reasoning behind the pick was sound, and trading him while he still had value was a really great move.

Busts are so hard to quantify though.

You have too look at how high they were drafted AND what they ended up doing.

 

[HandshakeLine]

You have too look at how high they were drafted AND what they ended up doing.

I know, but it still makes the calculus wonky. Like take Jake at 77 versus Talbot at 234. Sure the odds of hitting on a successful NHL career are low towards the end of the draft, but a 7th rounder becoming a serviceable bottom 6 guy is less rare than a guy coming out of the 3rd round to be a 40 goal scorer.

While he might not technically be our draft pick, I'd say Marino definitely warrants a place in this discussion since the odds of any defenseman coming out of the ECAC and straight into NHL top-4 duty on his ELC are small to begin with.