The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves at a crossroads heading into the 2025 NHL Draft. The Pens hold the 11th overall pick as they look to initiate a full-on rebuild.

There were other times in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ history when the team was mired in a rebuilding phase. Those times led to successful eras culminating in Stanley Cup championship runs.

So, here’s a look at the top five strongest Pittsburgh Penguins draft classes of all time.

Top 5 Pittsburgh Penguins’ strongest draft classes

#5 2004

Let’s start with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ last rebuild. In 2004, the Pens held the second-overall pick, taking Evgeni Malkin from the Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL. Malkin became part of the Penguins’ core that won three Cups among multiple Cup Final appearances in the late 2000s and 2010s.

Another notable player was Alex Goligoski, who played over 1,000 games with various teams. The Pens also selected Tyler Kennedy, who appeared in more than 500 NHL games and was a member of the 2009 Cup champion team.

#4 2003

The 2003 NHL Draft was the first of the four consecutive top-two picks the Pittsburgh Penguins held. The team selected goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury from the QMJHL. In short, Fleury’s legendary run was highlighted by three Stanley Cups. He moved on to the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks, retiring with the Minnesota Wild at the end of this past season.

The Penguins also selected Daniel Carcillo at # 73 and Matt Moulson at #263, who played 429 and 650 NHL games, respectively.

Another notable name is Paul Bissonette at #121.

#3 1990

In 1990, the Pittsburgh Penguins had the fifth-overall pick. The Pens used it on Jaromir Jagr out of Kladno in Czechia. Jagr was on the Penguins’ 1991 and 1992 Cup champion teams. He’s still playing in Europe.

Pittsburgh selected Chris Tamer #68. He played in 644 games, with Ian Moran taken at #107. Moran suited up for 489 games.

#2 2005

The last time the Penguins picked first overall was 2005. That year, the no-brainer #1 pick was Sidney Crosby. Crosby’s exploits should propel him into NHL immortality.

The other highly noticeable pick in 2005 was Kris Letang at #62. Crosby, Letang, Malkin, and Fleury would become the core that landed three Stanley Cups for the Penguins in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

#1 1984

Another time when the Penguins picked first overall was in 1984. That was the year Mario Lemieux joined the Pens. Lemieux was unconvinced about playing in Pittsburgh as the club was in a mess.

But Lemieux gritted through half a decade of losing before rising to the top of the world with back-to-back championships. Lemieux and Jagr led a talented supporting cast of characters, including Ron Francis, Mark Recchi, and Paul Coffey.

The Penguins also took Doug Bodger at #9. He would go on to play in over 1,000 NHL games, but he is more remembered as a member of the Buffalo Sabres.