Ranking the Top 5 Draft Picks in Pittsburgh Penguins History

While much has been made this offseason of the Pittsburgh Penguins' poor draft performance in recent years, the fact remains that, since the franchise was first established in 1969, it has seen quite a few draft choices develop into franchise players.

Known as a blue-collar sports town that prefers homegrown heroes to high-priced hired guns, Steel City teams have not historically had the budget or the inclination to chase expensive free agents but rather have focused on building from within—and the Pens have followed suit.

As the team prepares for training camp and fans wait to see which prospects prove ready to make the jump to the NHL in the 2014-15 season, let's take a look at the top five draft picks in Pittsburgh Penguins history.

Honorable Mentions

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Marc-Andre Fleury, first overall pick in 2003

As only the third goaltender to be selected with the first overall pick, Fleury quickly made the jump to the NHL and became the Penguins' starting goaltender in 2004.

Despite his postseason struggles and misadventures handling the puck, Fleury led the Pens to a Stanley Cup in 2009, was voted team MVP in 2011 and is the franchise leader in career wins and shutouts.

Markus Naslund, 16th overall pick in 1991

Blessed with soft hands and a quick wrist shot, Naslund showed flashes of greatness with the Pens but struggled with consistency and was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for Alek Stojanov in one of the worst trades in franchise history.

While Stojanov would be injured in a car crash and never pan out, Naslund would top the 40-goal mark six times with the Canucks and captain the team for eight seasons.

Pierre Larouche, eighth overall pick in 1974 

Having set the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on fire with 251 points in 67 games, a record that would stand until a future Pens draft pick would break it, Larouche made an immediate jump to the NHL where he reached the 30-goal plateau as a rookie and the 50-goal plateau the following year.

As the only player in NHL history to score 45 of more goals in a season with three different teams (the Pens, the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens), Larouche averaged more than a point per game in his career and still has strong ties to the Penguins to this day.

No. 5: Evgeni Malkin, 2nd Overall Pick in 2004

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Having been beaten out for the top pick by fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin and having spent most of his career in the shadow of teammate Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin hasn't always gotten his due but, fortunately for the Penguins, that doesn't seem to bother Geno.

After missing most of the 2011-12 season with a major knee injury, Malkin claimed the scoring title and MVP award and became only the second player, after Wayne Gretzky, ever to lead the NHL and the IIHF World Championships in scoring in the same year.

With a resume that includes the Hart Trophy (2012), the Art Ross Trophy (2009, '12), Conn Smythe Trophy (2009) and a Stanley Cup (2009), Malkin has established himself as one of the game's elite and, in almost any other NHL city, would be the cornerstone of the franchise.

Having signed a long-term contract to stay in Pittsburgh, Malkin will continue to team with Crosby on the ice while challenging him on the stat sheet. Although Sid the Kid is the reigning MVP, it's hard to imagine the Pens can be serious contenders without Malkin returning to Conn Smythe form.

No. 4: Sidney Crosby, 1st Overall Pick in 2005

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Having earned back-to-back Canadian Hockey League MVP awards while with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL, Sidney Crosby had left little doubt that he would be the first overall pick at the 2005 NHL draft.

After beating out the Anaheim Ducks for the top pick in what became known as the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes, the Penguins drafted the player dubbed as "The Next One," and he immediately made his presence known at the NHL level by tallying 39 goals and 63 assists in 81 games.

Although he finished second to perpetual rival Alexander Ovechkin in the Calder Trophy voting, Crosby would have his revenge the following season as he would win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and lead the Pens to their first playoff berth in six years.

While his numerous injuries are all too familiar to Pens fans and have robbed him of almost two full NHL seasons, Crosby claimed his second Hart and Art Ross trophies this year and remains the face of not only the Pittsburgh Penguins, but also of the NHL.

No. 3: Mark Recchi, 67th Overall Pick in 1988

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

While most of the Penguins' most accomplished draft picks spent most of, if not, all of their careers in Pittsburgh, Mark Recchi proved to be the exception as he played 15 of his 22 NHL seasons for five other franchises.

Known for his dominant performances in junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers, a team that he is now part owner of, Recchi made an immediate impact with the Pens and tallied 30 goals and 37 assists in the 1989-90 season, his first full season in the NHL.

The following year, Recchi nearly doubled his output with 40 goals and 73 assists as he filled in for the injured Mario Lemieux during the regular season and added 10 goals and 24 assists in the postseason as the Pens laid claim to their first Stanley Cup.

Unfortunately, Recchi would be traded the following season by then-general manager Craig Patrick to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he would continue his stellar career during which he would amass 577 goals and 956 assists. He helped lead both the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes and the 2010-11 Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup.

No. 2: Jaromir Jagr, 5th Overall Pick in 1990

Denis Brodeur/Getty Images

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the barriers that had prevented Eastern European players from playing in the NHL were finally gone, and the Penguins, among other NHL teams, were quick to take advantage of this vast talent pool.

Of the 22 Czech players drafted at the 1990 NHL draft, the Pens drafted the second one taken in Jaromir Jagr who had played with HC Kladno in Czechoslovakia and was selected three picks after future Penguin Petr Nedved was taken by the Vancouver Canucks.

As the first Czech player ever drafted without first defecting to the West, Jagr was able to make the jump directly to the NHL and contributed 27 goals and 30 assists to a Pens team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup in 1991.

Despite his tempestuous relationship with Pens fans and his ugly departure from Pittsburgh in 2001, Jagr currently ranks seventh in goals and sixth in points in NHL history and remains one of the greatest draft picks and players in Penguins history.

No. 1: Mario Lemieux, 1st Overall Pick in 1984

Denis Brodeur/Getty Images

Although there's been a lot of speculation at recent NHL entry drafts as to who the first overall pick would be, that was not the case at the 1984 draft when a center with the Laval Voisins of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League named Mario Lemieux was setting records and drawing comparisons to Wayne Gretzky.

Having unloaded their best players in an obvious effort to finish at the bottom of the standings during the 1983-84 season, the Penguins were quick to select Lemieux with the first pick, but, due to an impasse in contract negotiations, he refused to shake hands with then-GM Eddie Johnston or don a Penguins jersey.

Fortunately for the fans of Pittsburgh, Lemieux would soon come to terms with the franchise he would eventually save both on and off the ice and lead to two Stanley Cups as a player and one as an owner.

While the idea of Lemieux in another team's jersey seems unthinkable for Pens fans, most forget that, had Lemieux been born by September 15 instead of on October 5, he would have been eligible for the 1983 draft and would, most likely, would have started his career with the Minnesota North Stars.