Fantasy Hockey Draft: The Top 5 Pittsburgh Penguins to Draft in 2009-2010

After failing in the finals the year before, the 2008-09 Pittsburgh Penguins won the battle for the Stanley Cup in a thrilling seven games series against the Detroit Red Wings this past season.. This talented team led by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will once again be an NHL favorite going into the 2009-2010 season, and should provide Fantasy Hockey owners with more than a few good options come Fantasy Draft time. Here then are the top five Pittsburgh Penguins to select during a 2009-2010 Fantasy Hockey Draft.

Evgeni Malkin (Center)

As good as Crosby is, when it comes to Fantasy Hockey, Malkin may be a cut above him. Last season Malkin topped the 100 point barrier for the second season in a row with 113. And while his scoring dropped from 47 goals to 35, he was good for 19 extra assists. The durable Russian also logged 82 games for the second year in a row, and was good for 41 power play points and 2 short handed goals. Malkin will also pick up his fair share of penalty minutes for leagues that rewards that particular stat. Overall, Malkin is a first round selection in any league.

Sid Crosby (Center)

Back from the injuries that limited him to 53 games the year bnefore, Crosby suited up for 77 games last season and responded with 33 goal, 70 assists. On any other team, Sid the Kid would be the best player available during a Fantasy Hockey Draft, however being the second best Penguin available is still good enough to make him a first round Fantasy Hockey pick. Crosby logged 61 power play points his rookie season, but was down to 40 last season. Look for a return to the loftier numbers of his rookie season in 2009-2010 and draft him if you can.

Marc Andre-Fleury (Goalie)

Fleury showed he has the right stuff when he shook off a dismal performance in the 5^th game on the Stanley Cup Finals to play excellent hockey over the final two contests. Over the course of the regular season Fleury was as steady has he has been for the past three seasons, winning 35 games while sporting a .912 Save Percentage and a 2.67 Goal Against Average. On this high scoring team, Fleury should be good for another +35 win season, and he should score well across all goaltending categories.

Jordan Staal (Center)

The second overall pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Staal rebounded from a poor sophomore year to post a 22 goal, 27 assists season, collecting 4 short handed points along the way. Though he may take a few more years before he has a breakout season, right now this 6-4, 21 year old Center is plenty good enough and should be considered a late-middle round pick.

Sergei Gonchar (Defense)

Normally one of the best scoring blue liners in the league, injuries limited Gonchar to just 25 regular season games last season. Sergei though was back for the Stanley Cup Finals and there is little reason to believe that he won't be back to posting a +60 point season. Still, he is now 35 years old and has logged over 900 NHL regular season games during his career, so there is the outside possibility that his scoring may slip a bit. Look for Gonchar to be among the top Defensemen taken in a Fantasy Hockey Draft.

Statistical Sources:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/pit/