2011 NHL Draft: 5 Players the Pittsburgh Penguins Should Consider

The Pittsburgh Penguins have the 23rd pick in this year's NHL draft in Minnesota. Their most important need is at the wings. Every year we talk about how Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin both need scoring wingers so that they can both maximize their potential and lead the Penguins to another Stanley Cup.

The Penguins seem stacked on defense but they can probably find more depth in later rounds. But for the first round, they need a winger.

Here are five wingers the Penguins should consider with the 23rd pick.

5. Matthew Puempel

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TORONTO, CAN - JANUARY 19: Matt Puempel #18 of Team Cherry skates against Team Orr in the 2011 Home Hardware Top Prospects game on January 19, 2011 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 7-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/G

Matthew Puempel is an 18-year-old left winger for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. He has strong upside as he led all OHL rookies in scoring in his first season with 64 points. This past season he had 69 points. He can definitely put the puck in the back of the net.

He has decent size at 6'0", 190 pounds, but his scoring ability has made him a definite first-round pick or early second-round pick. ESPN Insider described him as a player who isn't flashy. Despite this, his stats don't lie. He can get the job done offensively.

4. Ty Rattie

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TORONTO, CAN - JANUARY 19: Ty Rattie #8 of Team Cherry poses for a Head Shot prior to skating in the 2011 Home Hardware Top Prospects game on January 19, 2011 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Rattie is short and small. He's barely 6'0" and is listed at 170 pounds. But the dude can play. He plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He scored 22 points in 21 games in the WHL playoffs this year. He also scored 79 points in 67 games in the regular season.

Rattie's size may be small, but he has years to develop and become bigger. His 51 assists demonstrated that he is more of a distributor than a scorer right now at the left wing position. More importantly, he was a part of a Winterhawks team that lost in the WHL Finals this season. He has some experience playing in big games and this should make him look good for a Pittsburgh team who values players who have big game experience.

3. Nicklas Jensen

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TORONTO, CAN - JANUARY 19: Nicklas Jensen #17 of Team Cherry skates against Team Orr in the 2011 Home Hardware Top Prospects game on January 19, 2011 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 7-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen

Nicklas Jensen is a Danish forward who plays for the OHL's Oshawa Generals. He put up 29 goals in 61 games. He's a tall lanky player at 6'3" and 180 pounds.

Jensen was also a part of the U-20 Danish gold medal-winning team. Hockeysfuture.com has him as the 22nd ranked player going into the draft. He is part of a growing pool of talented Danish players, and he is looking to make a mark in the NHL—perhaps on Crosby's wing.

2. Alexander Khokhlachev

The Russian native once said that he moved to America so he can get drafted high. This kind of attitude is what any NHL team wants. He is driven and goal-oriented. He obviously wants to succeed because of his decision to move to America where he can get more exposure and become oriented with the North American style of gameplay.

So how did the Russian do?

Khokhlachev scored an impressive 76 points in 67 games with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He has shown he can play with the big boys of Major Junior Hockey. Now he wants to show that he can play in the NHL, too.

Playing for the Penguins would be a great fit, because he will be surrounded by fellow countryman Evgeni Malkin who went through what Khokhlachev is going through now. He can help and assist him and perhaps do what Sergei Gonchar did for him—let him stay at his place.

1. Brandon Saad

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TORONTO, CAN - JANUARY 19: Brandon Saad #22 of Team Orr skates against Team Cherry in the 2011 Home Hardware Top Prospects game on January 19, 2011 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 7-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/G

Saad is a Pennsylvania native who would love to play so close to home. He is from Gibsonia, which is very close to Pittsburgh. Players like him decided to play hockey because of Mario Lemieux's impact on the sport.

More importantly, Saad knows how to play. In 55 games with Saginaw of the OHL, Saad scored 27 goals and 55 points. He also added 12 points in 12 playoff games. Saad spent time on the US National Development Team as well, scoring 26 points in 24 games. 

He also has a knack for playing with a chip on his shoulder. He started in the North American Hockey League in 2009. He worked his way up to the OHL and now he's projected to go in the first round. These type of players, who play well under adversity, are guys that succeed when they make it to the NHL. He will be a great addition to the Penguins, eventually, and they should target Saad if he's available at No. 23.