From Fleury to Junkka, ranking every player the Penguins have lost in expansion drafts

It’s anyone’s guess as to who the Penguins will lose in Wednesday’s expansion draft to the Seattle Kraken.

But one thing is clear about this to-be-determined departee.

He won’t be the best player the Penguins have ever lost in an expansion draft.

That designation belongs to future hall-of-fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

But there’s a pretty good chance this person will be second on the list.

Entering the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1967, the Penguins have participated in 11 subsequent expansion drafts as an incumbent franchise.

For the first 10 of those drafts, the rules allowed incumbent franchises to protect almost everyone of value, leaving mostly fringe players for the expansion teams to sort through with dim hopes of cobbling together a semi-competitive lineup.

“The (protection) lists were so much longer,” said Penguins general manager Ron Hextall, whose playing career overlapped expansion drafts for five teams during the early 1990s. “You weren’t even really worried (about being selected). You were losing guys that were very bottom end or out of your lineup. It was a different time for sure.”

Things changed in 2017 when the Vegas Golden Knights, paying a bloated expansion fee of $500 million, came into existence. The NHL adjusted its expansion rules to reward the Golden Knights’ owners for cutting such a large check and allowed them to select from a pool of legitimate impact players.

As a result, the Golden Knights were able to advance to the Stanley Cup Final during their inaugural season of 2017-18.

Having paid an obscene $650 million to enter the NHL, the Kraken will operate with the same exact rules as the Golden Knights. Plus, with the NHL’s salary cap being flat for the second consecutive season, plenty of incumbent franchises are willing to cut ties with otherwise satisfactory players simply because they have large salary cap hits.

Including the Penguins.

With that said, here are all 23 players the Penguins have lost in expansion drafts from best to worst, as ranked though vigorously unscientific means:

1.) Marc-Andre Fleury, goaltender – Vegas Golden Knights (2017)

Perhaps the greatest expansion draft pick ever, Fleury joined the Golden Knights and immediately helped them become Stanley Cup contenders. Having directed them to a Stanley Cup final as well as two conference finals in their first four seasons, Fleury won the Vezina Trophy last season as the league’s top goaltender.

Of course, before he was a franchise goaltender in Vegas, Fleury was a franchise goaltender in Pittsburgh. The first overall pick in the 2003 entry draft, he played a major role in the franchise’s three most recent Stanley Cup championships.

2.) Tracy Pratt, defenseman – Buffalo Sabres (1970)

Pratt shares a distinction with Fleury as the only players selected from the Penguins in an expansion draft who went on to become an All-Star elsewhere.

The son of Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Babe Pratt, Tracy Pratt spent parts of two solid but unspectacular seasons with the Penguins in the late 1970s. Selected by the Sabres, Pratt enjoyed more playing time in Buffalo as a stout defensive force. After being traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 1973, Pratt was selected for his lone All-Star Game appearance in 1975.

3.) Keith McCreary, right winger – Atlanta Flames (1972)

McCreary was typical of players who finally got a chance at the NHL thanks to expansion. Lost in the depth of the powerful Montreal Canadiens’ system during the final years of the so-called “original six” era, McCreary was selected by the Penguins in the 1967 expansion draft. With the Penguins, McCreary became a top-six player who reached the 20-goal mark twice in the franchise’s early seasons.

In 1972, McCreary was on the move again as he was chosen by the Flames in that year’s expansion draft. Laboring through injuries, McCreary reached the 20-goal mark again in 1972-73.

4.) Troy Loney, left winger – Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993)

Loney might not have been as talented as some players listed below him on this list, but he had a lasting impact on both franchises.

With the Penguins, Loney helped steward the franchise from its pre-Mario Lemieux doldrums of the early 1980s into a Stanley Cup champion by the early 1990s as a physical, defensive winger.

Selected by the Mighty Ducks in the 1993 expansion draft, Loney served as that franchise’s first captain and scored a career-best 13 goals during Anaheim’s inaugural season.

5.) Wayne Bianchin, left winger – Edmonton Oilers, 1979

The 1979 expansion draft was unique in that four teams from the defunct World Hockey Association (WHA) were joining the NHL. Throughout the 1970s, several players jumped from the NHL to the WHA for better contracts. When the two leagues merged, the incumbent NHL franchises were able to reclaim players from former WHA teams they still had contractual rights to.

In order to balance out the rosters, an expansion draft was held for the former WHA teams.

Bianchin was the best player the Penguins lost in this draft.

Having overcome a surfing accident that led to a broken neck in 1974, Bianchin was a two-time 20-goal scorer for the Penguins in the mid-1970s.

More injuries hampered him and led to the Penguins exposing him in the 1979 expansion draft. In one season with the Oilers, Bianchin played in only 11 games before bolting to play in Italy.

6.) Peter Taglianetti, defenseman – Tampa Bay Lightning, 1993

A sturdy, physical defender throughout the 1980s and early 1990s with the Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota North Stars, Taglianetti joined the Penguins in a midseason trade in 1990-91 and provided a counter-balance to an offensively aggressive team that needed someone who looked like he was conscious of defending his end of the ice.

A key contributor to the Penguins’ first two Stanley Cup titles of 1991 and 1992, Taglianetti went south after being claimed in the 1992 expansion draft and spent most of the 1992-93 campaign with Tampa Bay. Late in the season, the Penguins reacquired him in a deal at the trade deadline. He spent the final three seasons of his 11-year career in Pittsburgh.

7. Bob Leiter, center – Atlanta Flames, 1972

Another player who benefited through the opportunity expansion provided, Leiter broke through as a full-time NHLer at the age of 30 during his lone season with the Penguins in 1971-72 by appearing in 78 games and putting up 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists).

Leiter’s greatest success came in the South. Selected in the 1972 expansion draft, Leiter led the Flames in scoring with 60 points (26 goals, 34 assists) during their inaugural season. He followed that up with another 26-goal season in 1973-74.

8.) Colin Campbell, defenseman – Edmonton Oilers, 1979

Before he was a much-maligned NHL executive, Campbell was a steady, physical defender who fit in well with the rough-and-tumble 1970s. A second-round pick of the Penguins in the 1973 amateur draft, Campbell led the team in penalty minutes as a rookie in 1974-75 with 172 and even scored the series-clinching goal in their first-round playoff series with the St. Louis Blues.

Campbell was claimed by the Oilers in the 1979 expansion draft and spent one unremarkable season with a couple of youngsters named Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.

9.) Randy Gilhen, center – Minnesota North Stars, 1991

The 1991 expansion draft was another strange one. George and Gordon Gund, owners of the North Stars, wanted to move the franchise to the San Francisco Bay Area. The NHL refused but reached a compromise that allowed for the Gunds to sell the North Stars and be granted an expansion franchise that became the San Jose Sharks.

Part of the compromise called for the Sharks to first select players from the North Stars in a dispersal draft. Then, in the formal expansion draft, the Sharks and North Stars filled out their rosters with players from the other NHL teams.

That led to Gilhen being selected by the North Stars a few weeks after the Penguins defeated them in the 1991 Stanley Cup final.

A sturdy fourth-line center on a team with three hall of famers ahead of him in the lineup (Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis and Bryan Trottier), Gilhen was a dutiful defensive presence on the Penguins’ first Stanley Cup championship squad.

After being selected by the North Stars, Gilhen never played in Minnesota as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings later in the 1991 offseason.

In total, Gilhen carved out a respectable 11-year career in the NHL.

10.) Tyler Wright, center – Columbus Blue Jackets, 2000

A first-round pick (No. 12) of the Oilers in the 1991 entry draft, Wright failed to live up to immense expectations with that franchise and was jettisoned after four seasons.

Traded to the Penguins in the 1996 offseason, Wright was typical of players Penguins general manager Craig Patrick pursued in the late 1990s when cash was tight. That’s to say Wright was given a second chance and reinvented himself into a steady, defensive presence at a time when the NHL was becoming more defensive-focused.

Wright got his career right in four solid but hardly spectacular seasons in Pittsburgh. Selected by the Blue Jackets in the 2000 expansion draft, he found his greatest NHL success in Ohio.

In parts of five seasons with the Blue Jackets, Wright reached double digits in goals three times and even scored the first natural hat trick in franchise history.

11.) Wendell Young, goaltender – Tampa Bay Lightning, 1992

Young holds a unique place in the histories of each of the Penguins and Lightning.

With the Penguins, Young, a steady backup goaltender on teams that never seemed particularly interested in defense, was in net for a 5-3 road win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 3, 1989. That victory snapped a hideous 42-game losing streak for the Penguins in Philadelphia’s Spectrum over 15 years.

After winning two Stanley Cup rings with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, Young was claimed by the Lightning in the 1992 expansion draft. For the Lightning, Young backstopped the plucky expansion franchise to a 7-3 home win in its first-ever game at Tampa’s Expo Hall against the defending Campbell Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7, 1992.

12.) Yvon Labre, defenseman – Washington Capitals, 1974

Mostly a spare part during two unremarkable seasons with the Penguins in the early 1970s, Labre holds a pretty special place in Capitals history. As one of the few players worth watching for what is commonly regarded as the worst expansion team in NHL history, Labre offered a spirited defensive game for Capitals squads that were typically overwhelmed most nights.

In 1980, on the occasion of the 500th game in franchise history, Labre had his jersey number (No. 7) preemptively retired, the first member of the Washington Capitals to receive this honor. By 1981, injuries had forced Labre to hang up his skates at the age of 31.

13.) Tony Hrkac, center – Nashville Predators, 1998

Hrkac might have been higher on this list had he actually played for the Penguins or the Predators.

On July 16, 1998, in a bit of roster maneuvering, the Penguins acquired Hrkac and defenseman Bobby Dollas from the Oilers in exchange for forward Josef Beranek. Only 10 days later, Hrkac was selected by the Predators in the expansion draft.

Almost two weeks after that, Hrkac was on the move again, this time being traded to the Dallas Stars for future considerations.

Oddly, it was through that series of transactions that Hrkac won the only Stanley Cup championship of his career as a member of the 1998-99 Dallas Stars.

In total, Hrkac spent a respectable 12 seasons and 758 games in the NHL with nine teams. Just none with the Penguins or Predators.

14.) Paul Laus, defenseman – Florida Panthers, 1993

Tougher than a brick, Laus was a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) of the Penguins in the 1989 entry draft but never played any NHL games for the organization.

Granted an opportunity the Panthers, Laus took full advantage of it and became one of the more popular players of that franchise’s “Rat Trap” days, helping it reach its only Stanley Cup Final in 1996.

In 1996-97, Laus racked up a remarkable 313 penalty minutes, many of which came from an astounding 39 fighting majors.

Laus fought his way to a nine-year career in the NHL, all of it spent in South Florida.

15.) Tom Edur, defenseman – Edmonton Oilers, 1979

Edur remains one of the biggest mysteries in Penguins history.

After opening his professional career with the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA, Edur jumped to the NHL with the Colorado Rockies in 1976.

Midway through the 1977-78 season, Edur was traded to the Penguins. In Pittsburgh, he posted an impressive 43 points (five goals, 38 assists) in 55 games.

But just before the 1978 training camp, Edur opted to retire at the age of 23 to take up the work of being a Jehovah’s Witness. Despite the Penguins offering a new contract with the option to sit out games on Sundays, the talented Edur remained resolute in his decision.

The following offseason, the Penguins exposed Edur in the expansion draft and he was selected by the Oilers. Undeterred by the possibility of playing in his native Canada, Edur remained devoted to his faith and never joined the Oilers.

16.) Jean-Guy Lagace, defenseman – Buffalo Sabres, 1970

Thanks to expansion, Lagace was able to break into the NHL in 1968 as a member of the Penguins. An undersized defender (5-foot-8, 170 pounds), Lagace appeared in 17 games for the Penguins in 1968-69.

The Sabres claimed him in the 1970 expansion draft, but he made minimal impact in Buffalo, appearing in only three games during the 1970-71 season before being traded back to the Penguins in January of 1971.

In total, Lagace spent six seasons in the NHL, including four as a member of the Penguins.

17.) Robin Burns, left winger – Kansas City Scouts, 1974

Burns spent parts of three seasons with the Penguins in the early 1970s as a reserve forward, appearing in only 41 games over three seasons. It was with the Scouts — the first incarnation of the current New Jersey Devils franchise — that Burns finally got a chance to be a regular in the NHL.

In each of his two seasons in Kansas City, Burns reached double-digit figures in goals.

18.) John Stewart, right winger – Atlanta Flames, 1972

A second-round pick (No. 21 overall) of the Penguins in the 1970 amateur draft, Stewart struggled to gain traction in Pittsburgh as he played in only 40 games over two seasons in the early 1970s.

Selected by the Flames in the 1972 expansion draft, Stewart broke through as an NHLer, reaching double-digit figures in goals in both of his seasons down south.

19.) Maxim Galanov, defenseman – Atlanta Thrashers, 1999

The Soviet-born Galanov spent only four seasons in the NHL and each of them was with a different team.

It was with the Penguins that Galanov experienced his greatest NHL success. Claimed off waivers in October of 1998, Galanov established career-highs in games (51) and points (seven).

The Penguins opted to expose Galanov in the 1999 expansion draft, and he was claimed by the Thrashers. In Atlanta, Galanov played in 40 games and scored seven points during the Thrashers’ inaugural season.

20.) Mike McMahon, defenseman – Buffalo Sabres, 1970

While never a steady presence in any NHL lineup, McMahon managed to carve out an eight-year career as a reserve for six different teams.

Little of that time was spent with the Penguins or Sabres, however. In one season with each franchise, he played in only 12 games for both clubs.

21.) Ted Snell, right winger – Kansas City Scouts, 1974

A journeyman who spent most of his professional career in the minor leagues, Snell joined the Penguins as a free agent in 1973 and enjoyed his greatest NHL success in 1973-74, setting career-bests in games (55) and points (16).

Selected by the Scouts in the 1974 expansion draft, he lasted all of 29 games during that franchise’s inaugural season before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings.

22.) Doug Barrie, defenseman – Buffalo Sabres, 1974

Undrafted, Barrie broke into the NHL with the 1968-69 Penguins, appearing in only eight games.

Claimed by the Sabres in the 1974 expansion draft, he was one of that franchise’s best defensemen during its inaugural season, playing in 75 games and putting up 27 points (four goals, 23 assists).

Barrie’s NHL career was largely overshadowed by his time in the WHA as he became one of the Oilers’ steadiest blue liners throughout the mid- to late-1970s.

23.) Jonas Junkka, defenseman – Columbus Blue Jackets, 2000

Whatever motivated the Penguins to draft the Swedish-born Junkka in the fourth round (No. 104 overall) of the 1994 entry-level draft isn’t clear. And it’s even less clear what led the Blue Jackets to select him in the 2000 expansion draft.

Aside from one season with the Syracuse Crunch, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, in 2000-01, Junkka spent little time in North America and never played in the NHL. Knee and hip injuries forced him to retire at the age of 29 in 2004.

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