Fantasy Sleepers, Breakouts and Busts From Every NHL Team: Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the fantasy draft season at a crossroads, coming off a season that ended its three-year playoff drought but also raised real questions about how much longer this core can compete. 

The Penguins finished 41-25-16 for 98 points, good for second in the Metropolitan Division under first-year coach Dan Muse. Pittsburgh entered the postseason as favorites in a first-round matchup with rival Philadelphia, but age showed against a faster, younger Flyers team.

Sidney Crosby enters the season extension eligible after posting 74 points in 68 games, but he remains Pittsburgh's clearest bright spot on an otherwise aging roster. The futures of both Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are uncertain, leaving general manager Kyle Dubas with a decision to make: push for one more run with this core or finally commit to a rebuild.

Rust has quietly developed into a near point per game player, following up a career best 65 point season with another strong campaign. At 34, Rust continues to prove that age is just a number, and with Pittsburgh treating this season like a last dance for its trio of Hall of Fame caliber players in Crosby, Malkin and Letang, Rust figures to bring everything he has for one more run. 

He'll continue to skate alongside Crosby and Rickard Rakell, a line that was lethal when healthy last season, combining for 23 goals scored while allowing just 17 against. Rust has been a 0.85 point-per-game player over the last seven seasons, and with added motivation heading into this campaign, another 60-plus point season looks well within reach. 

He finished last season inside the top 60 fantasy players and is somehow still being drafted outside the top 125 picks, making him one of the better value plays available.

The biggest surprise on Pittsburgh's playoff team last season was the 25-year-old former 21st overall pick, who thrived after being dealt from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team that originally drafted him. 

Chinakhov posted 36 points in 43 games with the Penguins, a pace that projects to roughly 70 points over a full 82-game season. He did that while averaging just 15 minutes of ice time, meaning a bump in usage could push his production even higher. 

Fantasy outlets are currently projecting Chinakhov for 42 points this season, a number that looks conservative given what he showed down the stretch. With a full offseason to build on his breakout and a full season in Pittsburgh's system ahead of him, Chinakhov has real upside to be a difference maker in fantasy lineups.

With excitement building around one more run from Pittsburgh's veteran core, Letang is being drafted far too high, largely on name recognition alone. 

The now 39-year-old saw his production slip to just 30 points last season and finished close to outside the top 300 fantasy players overall, and there's little reason to expect a bounce back at this stage of his career. 

Letang could very well match that 30-point total again this season, but his average draft position remains inflated compared to defensemen like Drew Doughty, Aaron Ekblad, Luke Hughes, Devon Toews and Sam Rinzel, many of whom are going behind him despite offering considerably more upside.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.