Revisiting the Pittsburgh Penguins trades of their first round draft picks, and how those deals look now.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into a new era in many ways. Ron Hextall has stated how important he views keeping and making the Penguins' first-round pick, but his predecessors weren't as frugal. Here is a brief history of the Penguins departing with their top draft pick.
I previously wrote an article revisiting the Penguins' top picks that weren't traded before draft day.
2008
Acquired: Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis | 1st Pick: Daultan Leveille (29th Overall)
All trends have to start from somewhere, and in this case, it was in 2008 with general manager Ray Shero. Shero believed that the Penguins were ready to take their organization to the next level midway through the 2007-08 season and wanted to add to an already impressive roster of young talent.
Marian Hossa was in the prime of what would eventually become a Hall of Fame career when he arrived in Pittsburgh. After a slow start with the Penguins to finish the regular season, Hossa exploded in the playoffs for 12 goals and 26 points, helping the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup Finals berth since 1992. Many will remember Hossa's last-second effort that almost tied Game 6 in the waning seconds by poking the puck across the crease behind Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood.
Hoss would leave Pittsburgh after that season for the Detroit Red Wings, but the other piece to the trade, Pascal Dupuis, would become a fixture in the Penguins lineup for years to come. Dupuis played in nine seasons with the Penguins and scored 109 goals while flanking Sidney Crosby on the top line for the better part of the early 2010s.
Daultan Leveille never made it to the NHL, spending most of his career bouncing between ECHL teams until retiring after the 2016-17 season.
2013
Acquired: Jarome Iginla | 1st Pick: Morgan Klimchuk (28th Overall)
Jarome Iginla wasn't as dominant as Hossa in 2008. However, the Penguins utilized his powerful one-timer on their top power-play unit which was virtually unstoppable from the beginning of March through the playoffs. Iginla finished the postseason with four goals and 12 points through 15 games. Similar to Hossa, Iginla left Pittsburgh for the team that eliminated the Penguins (Boston Bruins) the following off-season.
Morgan Klimchuk played in one NHL game for the Calgary Flames in the 2017-18 season but spent the rest of his career in the AHL. Making stops with the Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators before calling it a career.
© Charles LeClaire | 2013 Mar 302015
Acquired: David Perron | 1st Pick: Mathew Barzal (16th Overall)
General manager Jim Rutherford traded his first-round pick in all but one of his seven seasons in Pittsburgh, but this one may sting the most. David Perron has been a phenomenal player in the NHL and has made his name recently as a solid contributor in the postseason. His time in Pittsburgh was less than terrific, finishing with 16 goals and 38 points in 86 games over two seasons. His playoff performance was non-existent with one assist in five games played.
Mathew Barzal has become a star player in the NHL, leading the New York Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021. Barzal's speed and puck-handling ability make him a tough matchup for any defender one-on-one, and his vision created countless scoring opportunities for the Islanders. Barzal has 311 points in 362 career games with the Islanders.
2016
Acquired: Phil Kessel | 1st Pick: Sam Steel (30th Overall)
Phil Kessel was an integral part of both Penguins' Stanley Cup winning teams in 2016 and 2017, scoring ten goals and 22 points in the 2016 run as part of the "HBK Line." Kessel was a fan favorite as soon as he came to Pittsburgh and backed it up on the ice, scoring 110 goals and 303 points in 328 games with the Penguins, adding 56 points in 65 playoff games.
Sam Steel is a bottom-six center for the Anaheim Ducks, and while he has been able to stay in the NHL, he hasn't shown the offensive upside of a first-round selection. Steel has amassed 24 goals and 65 points in 197 games with the Ducks.
2017
Acquired: Ryan Reaves | 1st Pick: Klim Kostin (31st Overall)
Acquiring Ryan Reaves for a first-round pick was one of the biggest misfires in Penguins' history. Reaves has been a consistent fourth-liner throughout his career and brings physicality and grit to whichever team he plays for. To his credit, he played as you would expect of him, but there was a disconnect between Rutherford and head coach Mike Sullivan, who seemed less inclined to give Reaves the ice time needed to make an impact. Pittsburgh traded Reaves in the middle of his first season with the Penguins.
Klim Kostin is a top five prospect for the St. Louis Blues and is coming off his rookie NHL season. Kostin netted four goals and nine points in 40 games for the Blues this season and figures to factor into their lineup next season.
2018
Acquired: Derick Brassard | 1st Pick: K'Andre Miller (22nd Overall)
Similar to Perron, Brassard was a touted playoff performer when he arrived in Pittsburgh but seemingly forgot that in Ottawa. Brassard never caught his footing with the Penguins and couldn't find a role in Sullivan's system. A disconnect between the two led to Brassard playing in the bottom six before being traded after just 54 games with the Penguins, in which he scored 12 goals and 23 points.
K'Andre Miller is a top-four defenseman for the New York Rangers and is coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At 22 years old, Miller will be a key figure for the Rangers' blue line for the foreseeable future.
© Nathan Ray Seebeck | 2022 Jun 72020
Acquired: Kasperi Kapanen | 1st Pick: Rodion Amirov (15th Overall)
Kasperi Kapanen has the distinction of being the only player to be selected in the first round and acquired for a first-round pick by the Penguins. Kapanen was shipped off to Toronto as part of the Phil Kessel trade in 2015 and was brought back in the summer of 2020. After a solid first year with Pittsburgh, Kapanen had one of the most disappointing seasons in recent memory this past year, scoring 11 goals and 32 points in 79 games. He is a restricted free agent this summer, but it is not guaranteed that the Penguins re-sign him this summer.
Rodion Amriov is a 20-year-old forward prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has played the past three seasons for Ufa Salavat Yulayev of the KHL, where he only played ten games last season, scoring three points.
2021
Acquired: Jason Zucker | 1st Pick: Carson Lambos (26th Overall)
Jason Zucker's tenure in Pittsburgh has been plagued by injuries. He has played only 94 games over the past three seasons due to multiple injuries he sustained during the regular season. Zucker has one-year left on his contract, but time will tell if the Penguins keep him for next season and allow him to become the 20-goal-scorer he was in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Wild selected Carson Lambos 26th in last year's NHL Draft, and it's too early to tell what type of NHL career he might have. The 19-year-old defenseman spent last season with the Winnipeg Ice of the WHL. He scored 47 points in 51 games and helped Winnipeg to the WHL semi-finals.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins