A decade of drafts: Part 2

The risks and rewards of drafting teenaged hockey players are numerous, and the Penguins, like most clubs, have experienced both in their annual effort to replenish the talent on their organizational depth chart.

In this two-part series, we’ve taken at look at every player the Penguins have chosen in the past 10 NHL drafts.

Here is Part 2, covering 2010-2014.

2010

Round 1 – RW Beau Bennett, Penticton (British Columbia Hockey League). Bennett has shown flashes of top-six talent, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from having the impact for which the Penguins were hoping.

Round 3 – RW Bryan Rust, U.S. national development team. A good skater who is reliable and responsible, Rust might be ready to contend for full-time work as a bottom-six forward in the NHL.

Round 4 – RW Tom Kuhnhackl. Landshut (Germany). Has not become the goal-scorer the Penguins projected him to be, but a serious shoulder injury impeded his development. He got a new contract Tuesday, so the team clearly isn’t ready to write him off.

Round 5 – LW Kenneth Agostino, Delbarton (N.J.) High School. Agostino, like fellow prospect Ben Hanowski, went to Calgary in the Jarome Iginla trade. He has played eight games for the Flames, and has a sound two-way game that could translate into steady work in the NHL someday.

Round 6 – D Joe Rogalski, Sarnia (Ontario Hockey League). Was viewed very much as a project when the Penguins claimed him, and the team opted against ever giving him a contract. He reportedly has given up the game.

Round 6 – D Reid McNeill, London (OHL). Although his skating is suspect, he plays a solid, physical, defensive style that could earn him a third-pairing job in the NHL at some point.

2011

Round 1 – D Joe Morrow, Portland (Western Hockey League). A lack of consistency has impeded his development into the two-way force the Penguins believed they were getting. Was traded to Dallas in the Brenden Morrow deal in 2013 and subsequently dealt to Boston.

Round 2 – D Scott Harrington, London (OHL). Probably never will be a fixture in the headlines or highlights, but might well grab a permanent spot on the Penguins’ NHL roster this fall.

Round 5 – C Dominik Uher, Spokane (WHL). Is a legitimate contender to fill a blue-collar role in the NHL within the next few seasons. Dressed for two games with the Penguins in 2014-15.

Round 6 – RW Josh Archibald, Brainerd (Minn.) High School. Competitive and a good skater, but will have to score on a more regular basis to force his way into the NHL.

Round 7 – LW Scott Wilson, Georgetown (Ontario juniors). Made his NHL debut last season, and has the talent and intangibles to carve out a fill-time niche in the league.

2012

Round 1 – D Derrick Pouliot, Portland (WHL). Probably the most highly regarded young player in the organization now and, despite some growing pains during his first 34 NHL appearances, should become an impact player at this level.

Round 1 – D Olli Maatta, London (OHL). Performs with a maturity and poise well beyond his 20 years. Missed most of last season because of cancer and a shoulder injury, but should step back into a top-four role on the Penguins’ defense this fall.

Round 2 – C Teddy Blueger, Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school (Minn.). Versatile and offensively gifted, he will have to bulk up if he’s going to be effective after turning pro when his days as the No. 1 center at Minnesota State are over.

Round 3 – C Oskar Sundqvist, Skelleftea juniors (Sweden). Management seems cautiously optimistic that Sundqvist will be able to earn a job in the NHL this fall, although it’s possible he will end up Wilkes-Barre. No one, however, is ready to pencil him in immediately for the third-line center spot now held by Brandon Sutter.

Round 3 – G Matt Murray, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL). Murray was the American Hockey League’s top goalie in 2014-15, and will either back up Marc-Andre Fleury or again be the go-to goalie in Wilkes-Barre next season. Either way, he looks to have a prominent place in the Penguins’ long-term plans.

Round 4 – C Matia Marcantuoni, Kitchener (OHL). Fleet and feisty, he eventually might be able to grab a spot on the NHL as an agitator/energy guy.

Round 4 – G Sean Maguire, Powell (BCHL). He’s far enough down the goaltending depth chart that, at least for now, he’s a long shot to ever wear a Penguins sweater.

Round 5 – D Clark Seymour, Peterborough (OHL). Spent most of his first pro season with Wheeling (ECHL) and looks to be unlikely to get to the NHL, despite playing a physical, defensively responsible game.

Round 6 – LW Anton Zlobin, Shawinigan (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). Although multiple shoulder injuries have impeded his development during his first two years as a pro, Zlobin’s skill level and knack for scoring goals in high-stakes games make him an intriguing prospect.

2013

Round 2 – G Tristan Jarry, Edmonton (Western Hockey League). The Penguins liked Jarry enough to trade up to in the draft to get him and he led Edmonton to the 2014 Memorial Cup, but he’s slipped behind Matt Murray on the organizational depth chart. That’s mostly because of Murray’s outstanding work, not any regression or flaw in Jarry’s game.

Round 3 – C Jake Guentzel, Sioux City (United States Hockey League). Size is a bit suspect, but he’s fast and skilled and has had two solid seasons at Nebraska-Omaha.

Round 4 – D Ryan Segalla, Salisbury (Conn.) High School. Hits hard and has shown a nasty edge to his game while playing at Connecticut, although he probably will have to add some bulk before turning pro.

Round 6 – D Dane Birks, Merritt (BCHL). A long-term project, by any measure, Birks has demonstrated elements of a solid two-way game. Just finished freshman year at Michigan Tech.

Round 6 – C Blaine Byron, Smith Falls (Central Canada Hockey League). Has shown himself to be a creative and versatile playmaker during his first two seasons at Maine.

Round 7 – C Troy Josephs, St. Michael’s (Ontario juniors). An effective forechecker who has filled a blue-collar role effectively at Clarkson, and figures to handle similar duties when he turns pro.

2014

Round 1 – RW Kasperi Kapanen, KalPa (Finland). It remains to be seen whether Kapanen is ready to fill a top-six niche during the coming season, but that’s the job he’s projected to handle when he locks down a spot in the NHL.

Round 4 – RW Sam Lafferty, Deerfield Academy (Mass.). A Hollidaysburg, Pa. native who’s attending Brown University, Lafferty’s best-case pro scenario appears to be as a solid two-way contributor.

Round 5 – C Anthony Angello, Omaha (USHL). Plays a rugged style that could translate well to the professional game if he progresses the way the Penguins hope.

Round 6 – RW Jaden Lindo, Owen Sound (OHL). A hard-hitting winger who projects as a bottom-six forward in the pros.

Round 7 – D Jeff Taylor, Union College (). His skating and offensive skills are good, but his modest size could be an issue eventually when he moves up to bigger, stronger competition.