The Pens are no different. In fact, a major factor in Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and '17 was the contributions from those role players. Whether it was Jake Guentzel lighting up the scoresheet, Bryan Rust scoring critical goals in elimination games, Tom Kuhnhackl killing penalties or Matt Murray slamming down the door in goal, Pittsburgh was blessed with players coming up from the minor leagues and making a difference in the NHL.
And the job of stocking the team with those role players falls on the shoulders of the club's amateur scouting staff, which has used later-round draft picks to fill out the roster. In fact, all of the aforementioned players were taken in the third round or lower: Guentzel (3rd round, 2013 Draft), Rust (3rd, 2010), Kuhnhackl (4th, 2010), Murray (3rd, 2012).
"It's huge to find players like that in the later rounds that have contributed to the success the Penguins have had here in the past and hopefully in the future as well," said Pens director of amateur scouting Patrik Allvin.
Those are the types of gems Pittsburgh will be searching for in this weekend's NHL Draft in Dallas. And barring any changes, the Pens will enter the draft without a first-round selection.
Pittsburgh hasn't has a first rounder in the past three years, and in four of the last five. The reason for that is the Pens' desire to win a championship in the present. The Pens have gone in big on players like Phil Kessel, Jarome Iginla and Marian Hossa, and the price of acquiring such high-profile players is a first rounder.
"I think we're all aware of that and I think that's a challenge for us," Allvin said. "Being a part of the Penguins for so long, when you have a good team you always want to win every year. Part of that is you have to give up a little bit of the future."
Without a first-rounder, finding talent in the later rounds becomes even more important. It's crucial that the scouting staff does their due diligence in evaluations. They deserve a lot of credit for their work in the past in finding talent later.
The Pens' back-to-back championship rosters included many players selected in the third round or later: Josh Archibald (6th), Guentzel (3rd), Kuhnhackl (4th), Kris Letang (3rd), Murray (3rd), Rust (3rd) and Scott Wilson (7th).
And that's not counting the players that Pittsburgh didn't draft, but were taken in later rounds: Nick Bonino (6th), Carl Hagelin (6th), Patric Hornqvist (7th) and Justin Schultz (3rd).
So even though Pittsburgh may not be selecting a prospect in the opening 30 picks, that doesn't mean the next Guentzel or Murray won't be there for the taking on Day 2 of the draft.
"It makes our job even more challenging and interesting to find later-round picks that could help us," Allvin said. "We're up to the challenge."
