The Penguins are a dynasty in the making thanks to an unheard of depth down the centre; with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and two-way stalwart Jordan Staal, this squad can be tough to defend. The wings were always in flux as the coaching staff tried to find the right combination to go with the centres, but that never stopped Crosby and Malkin from racking up the points and it won't be an issue heading into 2009-10. Chris Kunitz brought some winning experience late last year and that should carry over to his first full season with Pittsburgh - it should be a solid effort on his part regardless of what line he skates with. One name to put an asterisk besides heading into fantasy drafts is Tyler Kennedy who has seen his point totals increase over his first two seasons. Though Kennedy has had trouble sticking on the top line, he does get productive minutes and should be one of those players that win pools for owners that take a shot late in the draft.
Sergei Gonchar is still the man on the blue line and will be healthy heading into the 2009-10 season. He may come at a slight discount due to (i) age or (ii) point totals from 2008-09; the latter because some poolies tend to use top scorers from the year before without digging too deep. Either way, he is someone to target simply because he is the truest offensive weapon on the blue line. Kris Letang played stellar hockey in Gonchar's injury absence and should continue his supreme offensive efforts. Alex Goligoski aims to be another name on the Pens' defense, but he has some issues in his own zone and will need to shore that up before he is given the big minutes.
Marc-Andre Fleury was touted by SYP last year late when the bandwagon was losing riders, and he didn't disappoint. There is little reason to see his efforts sink to start 2009-10 and he should find himself atop many goaltending categories when the whistle blows on the season. He will likely be one of the last top goalies off the board making him solid value for fantasy owners.
Sleeper:
Luca Caputi had success in the AHL putting up 45 points in 66 games with a cup of coffee stopover with the Pens. He has a fighting spirit, which may account for his off-ice issues that saw him suspended, but anyone with offensive talents will thrive in the Pens system. He is expected to battle for a spot during training camp, but could be a huge sleeper if he makes the team, especially if he finds time on the top two lines.
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