The Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason went from having two of the top forwards in the NHL on their roster - Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - to having three of league's elite scorers in their lineup. After trading for former Toronto Maple Leaf, Phil Kessel, the Penguins now have perhaps the most talent-laden top-six in the game. Still, as was the case last season and all the disappointing Pittsburgh seasons that have come since their Stanley Cup win in 2009, what's likely holding the Pens back from another Cup hoisting is scoring depth. While it's early and immediate returns aren't always a great indicator of long-term production, it seems a couple of recent young Pittsburgh additions may be on the verge of providing the kind of cheap, quality depth the franchise needs to make a triumphant return to the conversation regarding the league's truly elite.
ESPN's Craig Custance reported on Friday that recent second-round pick Daniel Sprong and diminutive undrafted free agent Conor Sheary have both been making significant impressions on Penguins GM Jim Rutherford and head coach Mike Johnston thus far this offseason.
"He is far ahead of where [former Penguins prospect Kasperi] Kapanen was at this point," a Penguins source said of Sprong.
While Sprong fell to the second-round he was viewed by many pre-draft as a potential first-rounder in June. Reports suggested part of the reason for his drop was concern that, while he possessed the necessary talent, he struggled when asked to deal with pressure and seemed unable to play up to his size.
Still, through training camp, Pens coaches see an "NHL-ready shot and a player with the kind of high-end skill who can hang with the Penguins' big centers," per Custance.
As for Sheary, the 5-foot-9 forward managed 45 points in 58 AHL games last season and has followed that up with a strong camp that has the whole staff "talking," according to Custance's report. Sheary has displayed to the organization's decision-makers that he's skilled and can "really skate," but the question will always be whether a player his size can ever actually thrive at the NHL level.
