2015 NHL Draft Guide for Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins have continually fizzled out of the playoffs since winning a Stanley Cup in 2009, and the team is in a bit of a rut. The roster isn't particularly strong, as evidenced by the team's decline this past season, and the Pens need to address some issues going forward.

The problem the Penguins face is a lack of immediate picks and players to fill out the rest of the roster. Pittsburgh is going to have to get creative if it wants to fix a majority of its problems at the draft, and it may cause the club to make a trade or two.

With that in mind, here's a guide for the Pens heading into the draft.

Projected Lineup and Depth Chart

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As of today, the Penguins have the following roster players signed to a contract, per General Fanager:

Forwards

• Centers: Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Brandon Sutter and Nick Spaling
• Left wingers: Chris Kunitz and David Perron 
• Right wingers: Patric Hornqvist and Pascal Dupuis

Defensemen

• Kris Letang, Rob Scuderi, Ben Lovejoy, Olli Maatta and Derrick Pouliot

Goaltenders

• Marc-Andre Fleury

Projected Lineup

Chris Kunitz—Sidney Crosby—Patric Hornqvist
Kasperi Kapanen—Evgeni Malkin—David Perron
Nick Spaling—Brandon Sutter—Beau Bennett
Scott Wilson—UFA—Pascal Dupuis

Olli Maatta—Kris Letang
Derrick Pouliot—Ben Lovejoy
Scott Harrington—Brian Dumoulin

Marc-Andre Fleury
Jeff Zatkoff

Recent Draft History

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Top Players Drafted in Last Five Years

2014: Kasperi Kapanen, No. 22 Overall from Kalpa (Finland)

2012: Derrick Pouliot, No. 8 Overall from Portland (OHL)

2012: Olli Maatta, No. 22 Overall from London (OHL)

2011: Scott Harington, No. 54 Overall from London (OHL)

2010: Beau Bennett, No. 20 Overall from Penticton (BCHL)

As you can see, the Penguins have been very aggressive over the last few years when it comes to drafting defenders, but they haven't been able to add any significant forwards over the last few years.

Beau Bennett is the only forward of note who has made the NHL, and he has 33 points in 96 career NHL games.

Kasperi Kapanen has some potential, and there is a chance he will make an impact in the NHL at some point this season.

Prospect Pool

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Top Prospects

1) Kasperi Kapanen: The son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen is the Penguins' best prospect, and he should make his debut in the 2015-16 season. He is a talented winger who tallied 21 points in 41 games over in Finland this past season and had a goal and an assist in four AHL games. Kapanen has a great frame, skilled hands and he will be a great addition to one of the top two lines.

2) Brian Dumoulin: The Penguins have a number of talented young defenders, and Dumoulin is one of the few who doesn't have enough NHL games played to shed his prospect status. The Carolina Hurricanes drafted him in 2009, and he was sent to Pittsburgh in the Brandon Sutter trade. He is a sizable prospect at 6'4" and 219 pounds who can bring a much-needed presence on the left side of the blue line.

3) Scott Harrington: The Penguins drafted Harrington in 2011 in the second round, and the 6'2", 209-pound defender has the potential to be an impact player on the blue line. He plays a solid two-way game and will bring a steady presence for the Penguins' third pairing.

Team Needs

Going into the draft, the Penguins have a couple of items on their shopping list, and they can address them by using or trading their draft picks. With that in mind, here are their biggest needs and potential fits based on the picks they have in their possession.

Forwards

In the simplest of terms, the Penguins are very heavy in young defenders and defensive prospects. However, they have failed to draft and develop forwards. Beau Bennett is the lone exception, although he really hasn't lived up to his full potential given the success he had prior to being drafted.

The Penguins do not have many draft picks—they have four to be exact—and every one of them should be used on a forward in the 2015 draft.

Pittsburgh can always make trades if a particular forward doesn't pan out, but it should try to compile as many offensive-minded centers and wingers as possible.

Potential Fits: Christian Fischer, Jeremy Bracco, Jack Roslovic or Daniel Sprong

General Outlook

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

General manager Jim Rutherford (right) looks on.

The 2015 draft is going to be mundane for the Penguins unless they decide to make a major move out of nowhere. With no first-round pick and four total picks, the Penguins have very little to work with. The team needs to fill out the roster with talented complementary players, but finances will make things a bit dicey.

This is a situation in which the Penguins need to make a statement, because if they keep the status quo while other teams improve, the 2015-16 season could be a very interesting one.

Draft pick history via Hockey-Reference.com. Stats via NHL.com and Elite Prospects. Roster and salary information via General Fanager unless otherwise noted.