At least one former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins is guaranteed to win the Stanley Cup this year.

PITTSBURGH – The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is officially underway, and with the field narrowed down to eight teams, each of them features at least one former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. No matter who wins the Cup, a former Penguin will see their name etched into history.

Heading into the postseason, only four teams didn’t feature any former Penguins. The Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights lost their opening-round series.

Here are the former Penguins that remain in the running of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Carolina Hurricanes

Jake Guentzel, Jordan Staal, Stefan Noesen

A favorite among Penguins fans, the Carolina Hurricanes made it to the second round for the fourth straight year. This time, with two former fan-favorite Penguins and a third brief recall in Pittsburgh, the Hurricanes are among the betting favorites to win it all.

Jake Guentzel joined the Hurricanes just before this year's trade deadline and has been one of their best producers since. Jordan Staal is in his 12^th season in Carolina and is a finalist for the Selke Trophy for the first time in 14 years.

Stefan Noesen played just six games with the Penguins during the 2019-20 season and was one of two Hurricanes to score three goals in their opening-round win over the New York Islanders.

New York Rangers

Chad Ruhwedel

Another former trade piece from this past deadline, Chad Ruhwedel, was dealt by the Penguins soon after Guentzel. Now, the two are duking it out in the second round of the playoffs.

The New York Rangers have yet to put Ruhwedel in the lineup for a postseason game, but injuries may pile up in a tough series against the Hurricanes.

Boston Bruins

Danton Heinen

The Boston Bruins once again defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games to advance to the second round, but Danton Heinen didn’t finish the series in the lineup. After five games and an assist, Heinen was taken out due to an injury.

Heinen missed the last two games of the series but has been skating and will have time to recover and return for the second round against the Florida Panthers.

Florida Panthers

Evan Rodrigues, Dmitry Kulikov

Meanwhile, the Panthers have been waiting patiently for either the Bruins or Maple Leafs, and now they’ll enter the second round well-rested. Evan Rodrigues and Dmitry Kulikov are the familiar faces on the Panthers’ roster.

Rodrigues scored a goal and an assist in their five-game series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kulikov didn’t record a point but appeared in all five games and recorded an average ice time of 14:33.

Vancouver Canucks

Teddy Blueger, Sam Lafferty, Ian Cole, Mark Friedman, Casey DeSmith, Coaches/Management

Informally known as Penguins West, the Vancouver Canucks made their way to the second round, but it wasn’t easy between the pipes. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko was injured after Game 1, forcing former Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith to take over as starter.

After two games, DeSmith himself suffered an injury, forcing the Canucks to turn to their third-string goalie Arturs Silvos. During his two games, DeSmith did secure a win, helping the Canucks over the Nashville Predators.

Edmonton Oilers

Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci spent one year with the Penguins but earned his way to a four-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. After dismantling the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round, the Oilers have some of the best odds to win the Cup, according to BetMGM.

In the five-game series win over the Kings, Ceci recorded one assist and averaged just over 21 minutes of playing time per game.

Colorado Avalanche

Jack Johnson

The Colorado Avalanche looked like a scary team against the Winnipeg Jets, defeating them in five games. There was real conversation heading into the series that the Jets might have the Avalanche’s number, but it turned out to be the complete opposite.

Former Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson didn’t make much noise, but he knows his role in Colorado. Johnson was part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team but didn’t score a single point in that run.

Dallas Stars

Derrick Pouliot

A 2012 first-round draft pick of the Penguins, Derrick Pouliot has struggled to play in the NHL regularly over his career, playing on seven teams in nine seasons. Now a regular healthy scratch with the Dallas Stars, Pouliot represents a team that has a solid chance of making noise in the postseason.

The Stars have already knocked off the Vegas Golden Knights, guaranteeing that there will be a new Stanley Cup champion in 2024. Not only will there be a new team, but at least one former Penguin will hoist the silver chalice.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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