by Travis Mitchell

Created on: December 15, 2009

The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of those rare teams that can lay claim to some of the most highly skilled players the game has ever seen.

From 2 of the top 100 players of all time as listed by The Hockey News to several bright young stars, Pittsburgh’s historical and current lineups speak for themselves.

Evgeni Malkin:

With his long reach, amazing stick handling ability and the way he uses his imposing frame to protect the puck, Malkin has inevitably been compared to his predecessor, Jaromir Jagr.

Drafted 2nd overall by Pittsburgh in 2004, Malkin first saw action in 2006-07, where he posted an 85 point season that saw him win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

Along with Sidney Crosby, Malkin helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals the following year, where he scored 22 points in the playoffs.

To date, he is the only Russian player to win the Conn Smythe, which he did in 2009 when Pittsburgh defeated the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final.

Malkin has played in 2 All-Star Games, has an Art Ross under his belt, a Stanley Cup Championship, and he holds the record for the longest point streak by a Russian player with 1 or more points in 15 straight games.

NHL Totals:

GP - 268
G - 124
A - 211
PTS - 335

Jaromir Jagr:

Touted by many as one of most skilled hockey players in the world, Jaromir Jagr currently sits at number 9 on the NHL’s all time points list and number 37 on The Hockey News’ Top 100.

Drafted 5th overall by the Penguins in 1990, Jagr got off to a respectable start by scoring 57 points in 80 games.

While he wasn’t a dominating force at the time, he nonetheless played an important supporting role that year’s Stanley Cup Championship, as Pittsburgh’s Cup win the following year.

In 1992-93, Jagr posted his first 1 point per game season, with 94 in 81 games played. He would follow this up with 8 more stellar seasons before being traded to the Washington Capitals.

While in Pittsburgh, Jagr amassed 1,079 regular season points and numerous records.

NHL Totals:

GP - 1,273
G - 646
A - 953
PTS - 1599

Sidney Crosby:

Considered to be the next big thing since his junior years, Sid the Kid did not prove his believers wrong.

During his rookie season in 2005-06, Crosby set franchise records for the Penguins in both assists and points for a first year player, surpassing previous records held by Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux.

Drafted 1st overall by the Penguins in 2005, Crosby would finish the season 102 points and several records, including being the youngest player in the history of the NHL to score 100 points in a season.

He is the current Captain of the Penguins and played an integral role in the Stanley Cup Championship in 2009.

NHL Totals:

GP - 322
G - 152
A - 283
PTS - 435

Mario Lemieux:

Ranked number 4 on The Hockey News’ top 100, Mario Lemieux was one of the greatest playmakers and goal scorers of all time.

He has the second highest points per game average in NHL history and led the Penguins to 2 consecutive Stanley Cups.

NHL Totals:

GP - 915
G - 690
A - 1,033
PTS - 1,723

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