NHL drafts can be franchise-changing events, when a team's entire future can be radically altered over the course of a few hours or days.
Odds are that the one the league will conduct July 23 and 24 won't be one of those for the Penguins.
After all, unless Ron Hextall makes a trade or two, they will have only five choices: One each in the second and fifth rounds and three in the seventh.
That's not a formula for dramatically overhauling an organization.
Still, history shows that NHL-caliber talent can be uncovered in any round, so the Penguins might be able to help themselves a bit with their selections.
Especially if they're able to turn up prospects the caliber of some they have collected in each round over the years.
What follows is a ranking of the top players the Penguins have claimed in Rounds 1-7 of the draft. (Players were assessed on accomplishments over the course of their careers, not only what they did with the Penguins.)
ROUND 1
1. Mario Lemieux (1984) -- He turned out OK. Particularly for a guy at least a few scouts predicted wouldn't be as good as Kirk Muller in the NHL.
2. Sidney Crosby (2005) -- Almost any other franchise likely would have erected a statue of him by now. But with the Penguins, as in life, 66 comes before 87.
3. Jaromir Jagr (1990) -- Having him drop to them at the No. 5 overall pick was one of the great breaks the franchise has received.
And let's not forget: Evgeni Malkin (2004), Marc-Andre Fleury (2003), Pierre Larouche (1974), Markus Naslund (1991) and so many others.
ROUND 2
Greg Malone (1976) -- A solid two-way center on a lot of mediocre -- or worse -- teams.
Alex Goligoski (2004) -- He's been in the league for 14 seasons, and could appear in his 1,000th regular-season game during 2021-22.
Colin Campbell (1973) -- Long before he became a popular target for criticism as an NHL executive, Campbell had a nice career as a rugged defenseman.
And let's not forget: Russ Anderson (1975), Richard Park (1994), Teddy Blueger (2012), Paul Laus (1989) and Daniel Sprong (2015). For many years, however, the most direct path to a career outside of the NHL began with being one of the Penguins' second-round selections.
ROUND 3
Kris Letang (2005) -- His game has its highs and lows, but when he's on, there are few better defensemen.
Jake Guentzel (2013) -- His career trajectory still is rising, although Guentzel already has the hands and head to be a consistent 40-goal scorer.
Michel Briere (1969) -- He was destined to be the Penguins' first homegrown superstar before suffering mortal injuries in an offseason auto accident following his rookie year.
And let's not forget: Matt Murray (2012), Troy Loney (1982), Denis Herron (1972), Bryan Rust (2010), Robert Bortuzzo (2007) and Oskar Sundqvist (2012).
ROUND 4
Mark Recchi (1988) -- There were 66 players selected ahead of him that year. Not many of them have a plaque near his at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Rob Brown (1986) -- Possessed some of the best hands and offensive instincts of anyone who has worn a Penguins sweater. Too bad he skated like he was wearing golf spikes.
Ryan Malone (1999) -- The junior partner in the only father-son pairing on these lists. Also a pretty effective left winger.
And let's not forget: Mark Johnson (1977), Mario Faubert (1974), Tyler Kennedy (2004) and Tom Kuhnhackl (2010).
ROUND 5
Rob Scuderi (1998) -- A consummate defensive defenseman who was a key member of the supporting cast on the Penguins' Cup-winning club in 2009. The Piece, so to speak.
Jake Muzzin (2007) -- Never signed with the Penguins, but has had a productive career with Los Angeles and Toronto.
Jan Hrdina (1995) -- A solid two-way center who could be quite effective when deployed in a bottom-six role.
And let's not forget: Doug Shedden (1980) and Dominik Simon (2015). Well, don't forget them, but don't really dwell on them, either.
ROUND 6
1. Shawn McEachern (1987) -- He won a Cup as a rookie in 1991-92, the first of 14 mostly good seasons in the league.
2. Greg Millen (1977) -- The Penguins weren't happy when Millen left for Hartford as a free agent after three seasons here, but that doesn't detract from a nice career that ran from 1978-79 through 1991-92.
3. Patrick Lalime (1993) -- His Penguins career peaked early, as he put up 14 victories and two ties in his first 16 decisions, but Lalime had a nice run in the NHL, playing for more than a decade.
And let's not forget: Rod Buskas (1981), Jeff Daniels (1986), Dustin Jeffrey (2007) and Ian Moran (1990).
ROUND 7
1. Tom Kostopoulos (1999) -- His 11-year NHL career was testimony to the power of perspiration and persistence.
2. Joe Vitale (2005) -- A capable bottom-six center whose career ended prematurely because of a concussion.
3. Scott Wilson (2011) -- Earned a ring with the Penguins in 2017 and still could resurface in the league in the future.
And let's not forget: Eric Meloche (1996) and Valtteri Puustinen (2019).
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
1. Max Talbot (8th round, 2002) -- His performance in Game 7 of the 2009 Cup final against Detroit cemented his place atop this group.
2. Matt Moulson (9th round, 2003) -- Moulson never skated a shift for the Penguins, but had a productive time in the NHL and still hasn't called it career.
3. Andrew Ference (8th round, 1997) -- His time in the NHL covered 16 seasons and included a Cup with Boston in 2011.
And let's not forget: Dave Hannan (10th round, 1981), Paul Stanton (8th round, 1985), Dave McLlwain (9th round, 1986), Gord Lane (9th round, 1973), Jim Paek (9th round, 1987) and Hans Jonsson (11th round, 1993).
