PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
The early word is that Mario Lemieux will skate with Aleksey Morozov and perhaps Martin Straka, though Straka might be asked to run a second line. Add Dick Tarnstrom, last year’s breakthrough defenseman, and the team should have a workable power play.
Otherwise, Pittsburgh is in for a long winter. The Penguins stripped the roster bare last season, cutting salaries and loading up on youngsters. The list of 22-to-25 year olds is too long to mention. Fans are asked to be patient while a bright future slowly (very slowly) unfolds.
The future pitch only works if people pick up tantalizing hints of the glories to come. Kris Beech, Michal Sivek, Milan Kraft, Tomas Surovy... we know the names, have heard the rave reviews. An occasional glimpse of their presumably boundless potential is not too much to ask. But Marc-Andre Fleury, the young goaltending sensation, should be sent back to junior hockey. Teenaged goalies have trouble adjusting to the NHL at the best of times.
A few unspectacular veterans have been added to stabilize the group. Mike Eastwood, Kelly Buchberger and Marc Bergevin, all pushing 40, will be relied upon to share the misery, offer support, kick an occasional lazy ass, quell the panic as the losses mount and tell stories that begin, “You think this is bad? Why, I remember..."
Trouble: Where to start? How about on defense, where the Penguisn will likely be worse than last year, when they finished 28th overall.
On the Spot: 23 years old and 24 games into his NHL career, Sebastian Caron apparently inherits the starting goaltender’s job.
The Forecast: Can Lemieux win a scoring title playing for the worst team in the NHL? Don't count him out. Unless Caron is a candidate for rookie of the year, the Penguins will be out of the race by Christmas.
The Call: Fifteenth in the Eastern Conference.
Who's In:
Goaltender Martin Brochu (free agent from Europe)
Defenseman Marc Bergevin (trade from Tampa Bay)
Defenseman Drake Berehowsky (free agent from Phoenix)
Defenseman Patrick Boileau (free agent from Detroit)
Right winger Kelly Buchberger (free agent from Phoenix)
Left winger Reid Simpson (free agent from Nashville)
Center Mike Eastwood (free agent from Chicago)
Head coach Ed Olczyk
Assistant coach Lorne Molleken
Who’s Out:
Goaltender Johan Hedberg (trade to Vancouver)
Defenseman Joel Bouchard (free agent to Buffalo)
Defenseman Shawn Heins (unsigned free agent)
Defenseman Jamie Pushor (unsigned free agent)
Defenseman Hans Jonsson (unsigned free agent)
Center Kent Manderville (unsigned free agent)
Right winger Alexandre Daigle (unsigned free agent)
Center Mathias Johansson (unsigned free agent)
Left winger Ville Nieminen (free agent to Chicago)
Forward Mikael Samuelsson (trade to Florida)
Head coach Rick Kehoe
2002-03 Regular Season Numbers:
Payroll:
$31,159,500, 22nd overall
(Hockey News, November 15/02. Bonuses not included.)
- Record: 27-44-6-5 for 65 points.
- At home: 15-22-2-2.
- On the road: 12-22-4-5.
- Finish: 29th overall, 12th in Eastern Conference, 5th in Northeast Division.
- Goals for: 189 (2.30 per game), 26th overall.
- Goals against: 255 (3.11 per game), 28th overall.
- Goal differential: Minus-66, 29th overall.
- Power play: 18.3 percent, 7th overall.
- Penalty kill: 83.5 percent, tied for 13th overall.
Goaltending:
- Johan Hedberg, 41-14-22-4, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV PCT, 1 SO.
- Sebastien Caron, 24-7-14-2, 2.64 GAA, .916 SV PCT, 2 SO.
- J.S. Aubin, 21-6-13-0, 3.13 GAA, .900 SV PCT, 1 SO.
Leaders:
- Scoring: Center Mario Lemieux, 67-28-63-91.
- Power play points: Mario Lemieuxin, 67-14-31-45.
- Game-winning goals: Mario Lemieux, 4.
Center Marin Straka, 4. - Ice time: Defenseman Dick Tarnstrom 23:54 per game.
- Plus/minus: left winger Guillaume Lefebvre, plus-2.
