The PSReport Card
5 Critical Factors To The Pens' Season

In addition to the health of Mario Lemieux (a perennial No. 1 choice),

here are five factors critical to the Penguins' hopes for a competitive season:

Development of young forwards

The emergence of centers Kris Beech or Milan Kraft and/or left wings Michal Sivek or Tomas Surovy as top six forwards would allow the Penguins to use Brian Holzinger in a more defensive role and give them added flexibility with the deployment of Martin Straka. With the possible exception of Sivek, these young players would be seriously miscast in a third-line role. Hopefully the Penguins are no longer filling their third line with skilled players who couldn't crack the top six.

Molleken's role

New assistant coach Lorne Molleken will perform three important tasks for the Penguins this season. As the only member of the staff with head coaching experience, 1) he'll act as an advisor for rookie head coach Eddie Olczyk, 2) the former minor-league goaltender will be a full-time coach and sounding board for Pittsburgh's young goaltenders, 3) and his experience as a minor-league player and NHL coach will serve him well in his role as a liaison between Olczyk and a young team that knows more about the AHL than the NHL.

Consistency from Caron

No matter how the Marc-Andre Fleury decision comes down, goaltender Sebastien Caron will play a significant role in the team's fortunes this season. With only 24 NHL games on his resume and a four-year contract in his pocket, Caron has to prove he can be a consistent performer at this level from start to finish. Mistakes will be made in front of him, and difficult times are ahead. He's no longer a surprise story, and it remains to be seen how he'll handle a new level of expectations.

Star production from Morozov

Aleksey Morozov has never scored more than 20 goals in an NHL season, and Pittsburgh's hopes of being competitive in the Eastern Conference aren't likely to be realized if the 26-year-old doesn't have the biggest season of his career. Playing with Lemieux is a great advantage, but it also carries with it expectations Morozov hasn't yet met.

Melichar and Rosival must deliver

While the prospects for improvement on defense will be affected by the play of Drake Berehowsky and Brooks Orpik, they are likely to hinge more on the performances of two better-known quantities: Josef Melichar, 24, and Michal Rozsival, 26. If Melichar can overcome yet another shoulder injury suffered in camp, he'll add physical presence and character. It's about time Rozsival puts together the complete game at which he's hinted in past seasons. Their prime years are now upon them.