At The Mike
Penguins Had A Better Draft Option
By Mike Prisuta

Although the Penguins earned an "A" for aggressiveness at the NHL Entry Draft, they would have been better off demonstrating patience rather than passion at the outset of round one down in Nashville.

As the Steelers had with safety Troy Polamalu, the Pens identified their man and then did what was necessary to get him. For that you have to give them credit, especially since all they had to surrender was a warm body (Mikael Samuelsson) and the No. 55 overall selection. In return the Pens moved to the very top of the draft and received an additional third-round pick, which makes the swap a relative steal.

But in their zeal to secure their goaltender of the future, the Pens passed on a winger that could have provided much-needed help immediately - as in the 2003-04 season - let alone one that may well prove to be as accomplished a goal-scorer in the NHL as Marc-Andre Fleury will be at stopping pucks.

Thomas Vanek would have made more sense for the Pens.

Vanek has the size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) required to become a go-to-the-net, go-to guy in new head coach Ed Olczyk's image. At 19, Vanek was also a year older and a year more mature than many of the other prospects. It became particularly apparent as Fleury giggled his way through interviews following his selection.

We'll allow Fleury a mulligan based on the euphoria he must have been experiencing as the draft's No. 1 pick, but the purported next great butterfly guy from the Quebec League also comes up short against Vanek when resumes are compared.

Fleury made a name for himself by sizzling for a second-place team at the World Junior Championships.

Vanek made his reputation by dominating the NCAA as no freshman had since Paul Kariya was skating at Maine.

Vanek scored 31 goals and added 31 assists in 45 games in helping the University of Minnesota successfully defend its national title. At the Frozen Four, the native of Graz, Austria scored the game-winning goals in the semifinal triumph over Michigan (in overtime) and in the title-clincher against New Hampshire (in the third period).

No wonder he was the Gophers' Rookie of the Year, MVP and Playoff MVP (he may have even written a few term papers for Minnesota basketball players, although those reports are unconfirmed).

The goal Vanek scored against UNH was reminiscent of the one Jaromir Jagr scored as a rookie to tie the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup final - it was that breathtaking in nature.

This is not meant to suggest that Vanek will become another Jagr; but to suggest Vanek will quickly evolve into the reliable finisher and one-on-one force isn't stretching his projected upside in the least.

Edzo, who entered the NHL as an 18-year old, could have done wonders for this kid.

And the kid could have provided Penguins fans a tangible example that the corner had been turned and the rebuilding process was well under way.

Still, better days may be ahead. Fleury might yet arrive someday as the combination Martin Brodeur-Patrick Roy hybrid he envisions himself to be at this early stage of his career. But even if Fleury proves to be all of that and then some, the Pens are still going to need someone who can consistently put the puck in the net.

And they won't be improved at all next season due to Fleury's presence in the organization - something the Pens will need once the euphoria of Olczyk's hiring dies down and they actually begin playing games again.

Vanek could have helped this season and years from now.

Fleury will get here eventually, provided he beats the odds history suggests are stacked more against goaltenders than goal-scorers; only one other netminder had been selected first overall in the modern era of the draft (Rick DiPietro in 2000, who has yet to develop into the second coming of Glenn Hall for the New York Islanders).

The Pens were unified in their desire to roll the dice on Fleury nonetheless.

Vanek would have been much less of a gamble.

Mike Prisuta is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the sports director of WDVE-FM in Pittsburgh.