Best Penguins by Jersey Number: #25

Who is the best player in Penguins' history to wear #25?

The Pittsburgh Penguins' organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we've decided to go through the best Penguins' players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #25 in Penguins' history.

The number 25 has been worn by 19 different players in franchise history, and some good ones, at that. Immediately coming to mind are Randy Carlyle (the Penguins' only Norris Trophy winner), Kevin Stevens, and Max Talbot.

But it is Stevens who stands above the rest.

Stevens was a sixth-round draft pick in 1983 by the Los Angeles Kings. He was acquired via trade by the Penguins a few months later, and he spent four seasons with Boston College before making his NHL debut in 1987-88.

After two short seasons to start his NHL career, he broke out in 1989-90. That season, he recorded 29 goals and 70 points in 76 games, and followed that up with the four best seasons of his career, scoring 40, 54, 55, and 41 goals in succession - including seasons of 123 and 111-point seasons in 1991-92 and 1992-93. He spent much of that time playing on a line with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, and the "skyline" is widely considered the best line in franchise history.

In the 1992-93 season, the line combined for 365 points, despite Lemieux missing 24 games and Stevens missing 12. Stevens still recorded 111 points that year.

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But he was also a big-time playoff performer. En route to the Penguins' first Stanley Cup in 1991, Stevens scored 17 goals and 33 points in 24 games.

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And in the 1992 Wales Conference Final, he had a four-goal game against the Boston Bruins in Game 3:

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Stevens was also known for his physicality and large frame. Standing at 6-foot-3, 231 pounds, he wasn't afraid to step in and throw some punches. As a matter of fact, Stevens garnered 254 penalty minutes in 1991-92.

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Stevens' career and post-retirement has also been mired by controversy, as a collision with New York Islanders defenseman Rich Pilon in Game 7 of the 1993 Division Final knocked Stevens unconscious immediately and resulted in his face being smashed into the ice.

As a result of the recovery, Stevens became addicted to painkillers, and his career and his life were never the same. In his retirement, he established a foundation called Power Forward, which aims to erase the stigma surrounding addiction and assist those in recovery from the disease. 

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After stints with the Bruins, Kings, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers, Stevens came back to Pittsburgh for a brief stint in 2001-02, which was his final NHL season.

He finished his NHL career with 329 goals and 726 points in 874 games.

Honorable Mentions: Randy Carlyle, Max Talbot