It’s really quite simple. The Pittsburgh Penguins count their successes in Stanley Cups won, and while prospects are a handy means to that end, they’re most valuable as trade chips given the team’s posture as an annual contender.

Even so, the Penguins have done an excellent job of continually integrating cost-controlled, young talent into their lineup. They’ve done it in the most unconventional ways possible too, mastering mechanisms like NCAA free agency, and drafting far better than their positions suggest they should.

In at least one sense, one has to admire the Penguins pluckiness — the prospect and draft side of the game.

This pool, while short on high-end talent, offers precisely what the Penguins need from it. They’ve got some players who seem to be well on their way to playing a de