The Pittsburgh Penguins only had five draft picks in the 2014 NHL entry draft. A number of the team's selections had been moved out under the Ray Shero regime, so new GM Jim Rutherford had to do the best he could with what he had.
After taking the stage to make the 22nd overall pick, the Penguins waited until the middle of the second day to select their next player. A whopping 91 names were called between first-round pick Kasperi Kapanen and fourth-round selection Sam Lafferty, challenging co-directors of scouting Jay Heinbuck and Randy Sexton to unearth some late-round gems.
Heading into the draft, the goal for the team was to supplement the existing prospect group with a handful of new forwards. Sexton alluded to that when speaking with reporters after the dust had settled, saying "Coming in, our priority was to solidify our depth up front if we could. And we feel very, very good about the way we did that."
Four of the five selections Pittsburgh made turned out to be forwards, while the three after Kapanen are viewed as heavy players who thrive in the physical aspects of the game.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Franklin Steele
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