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Clear Issue Developing in Penguins' Prospect Pool: Kyle Dubas Must Act Fast
The Penguins future is starting to look bright, but according to Steven Ellis, until they can add more centres of the future, their potential will be limited.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the last three seasons, and with an aging team, this organization desperately needed a new direction for the future.
Thankfully for them, Kyle Dubas was one step ahead, as he is clearly leading this team into a rebuild with 17 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts as he looks to continue adding young talent for the future.
While he's already added plenty of talent in the draft, adding Kindel, Zonnon and Horcoff in the first round in 2025, Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis has identified one major weakness with the current prospect group in Pittsburgh.
Urgent Action Needed as Prospect Pool Threatens Penguins' Long-Term Competitiveness
According to Ellis, the lack of true star centre prospects in the Penguins organization is holding them back, as they have no piece of the future to look towards beyond Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, with most of their top prospects either being wingers or defensemen.
"I truly wonder how many centers in this system will play in the NHL down the middle. Benjamin Kindel is the most notable option, but he's undersized. Will Horcoff has the size, but I wonder if he'll be better as a winger." - Ellis
The talent in the organization is there, but the organization will need to get lucky to land someone that can play down the middle consistently, with both Horcoff and Kindel seen as potential wingers at the NHL level.
Ultimately, for a rebuild to be successful, landing a top centre is the top priority, with teams like Edmonton, Florida and Toronto all built for success at the centre position, and after winning three Stanley Cups with Sidney Crosby leading the way, the Penguins desperately need to land a centre star in the next 12 months either via trade or the draft.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 5 | 59 ANSWERS Clear Issue Developing in Penguins' Prospect Pool: Kyle Dubas Must Act Fast Should the Penguins try and acquire a young centre via trade? | ||
| Yes | 52 | 88.1 % |
| No | 7 | 11.9 % |
| List of polls | ||