Penguins Update: Revisiting Ray’s Drafts

In Ray we trust.

Remember that axiom? Indeed, it wasn’t all that long ago that former Penguins (and current Devils) general manager Ray Shero was the toast of the town. Back when he regularly fleeced his GM brethren (Chris Kunitz for Ryan Whitney). Moves that earned him General Manager of the Year honors in 2013. Before a string of playoff disappointments, overly lavish contracts, and a spotty record in player development led to his dismissal and tarnished his legacy in Pittsburgh.

Maybe we’ve judged too harshly. In the wake of Monday’s contract extensions to Shero draftees Tom Kuhnhackl, Bryan Rust, and Scott Wilson, perhaps it’s time to reconsider Ray’s record.

I was surprised to discover that 52 percent of the prospects chosen during Shero’s eight-year tenure here played at least one game in the National Hockey League. If you eliminate the 2013 draft (five of the six picks are still playing collegiate hockey)? Fifty-nine percent. All but six of the 50 players he drafted for the Penguins are still active.

Somehow, that wasn’t what I expected. Especially given the perception that Shero was a draft-table flop.

Granted, he failed to select a true impact player during his time at the Pens’ helm. The closest he came was his first-ever pick, Jordan Staal. And the St. Paul native struggled to identify draft-worthy forwards, at least early on.

Draft position certainly was a mitigating factor. Due to the club’s resounding regular-season success, Shero rarely had the luxury of picking from among the plums. When he did? He took Staal with the second overall pick in ‘06 and Derrick Pouliot eighth overall in ‘12.

He’s often criticized for selecting Staal over Jonathan Toews and Nicklas Backstrom. Keep in mind, the black and gold already had young guns Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in tow. Staal fit the mold of a classic two-way center with an offensive upside. Although Jordan never developed into a dominant scorer, the former Selke candidate’s hardly a slouch.

The jury’s still out on Pouliot, who’s flashed high-end potential.

Ray drafted some duds, no doubt. He reached on skilled but brittle Beau Bennett in 2010. Thus far the gamble hasn’t paid off. His top pick the following year, Joe Morrow, is skating for his third pro organization, although the blonde-haired vagabond may have found a home with Boston. Angelo Esposito—once a top-rated prospect—was a colossal bust. Shero was savvy enough to move him to Atlanta as a pot sweetener in the blockbuster Marian Hossa deal.

Needless to say, drafting isn’t an exact science. At best it’s a calculated risk. At worst…a chancy roll of the dice. Heck, even Chicago’s Stan Bowman, generally esteemed as the gold standard among NHL GMs, experienced his share of flops. For example, his dual 2011 first-rounders—Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault—have lagged far short of expectations.

Lest we forget, Shero had some significant victories, too. Simon Despres (30th in ‘09) and Pens mainstay Olli Maatta (22nd in ‘12) were gleaned with late first-round picks. Jake Muzzin (5th round, ‘07) became a stud, albeit with the Kings. Brian Strait’s (3rd round, ‘06) a dependable depth defenseman for the Islanders. Rugged Robert Bortuzzo (3rd round, ‘07) fills a similar role with St. Louis.

Nor did he leave the cupboard as bare as we may have believed. Goalie Matt Murray looks like a keeper. So does rangy Oskar Sundqvist.

Perhaps the current crop of kids will one day emerge as solid NHL players and restore some of the luster to Shero’s faded reputation.