Pens Points: Lafrenière Lottery Losers

Here are your Pens Points for this Tuesday morning...

Well, the NHL’s crazy Phase 2 of the draft lottery came and went. And the hot new toy, Alexis Lafrenière, will (presumably) be making his NHL debut with the Blueshirts on Broadway, as the New York Rangers have been awarded the first overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. Since the Penguins missed out, they still have pick number 15. And The Athletic’s Sean Gentille has laid out some options that GM Jim Rutherford could explore with his draft pick. [The Athletic ($$)]

A prospect that the Penguins do have in their organization will be starting the 2020-21 season in the Czech Republic. [Trib Live]

Matt Vensel of the Post-Gazette gave his thoughts on seven potential Penguins that may have played their last game in Pittsburgh. [Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

What has the league done to make its two playoff bubbles coronavirus-free so far? [ESPN]

The traditional first playoff round has been set. Who are some of the X-factors that could help their team advance in this summer skirmish for the Stanley Cup? [ESPN]

It is a ‘dream come true’ for Everett Fitzhugh, who will become the first black NHL team broadcaster when the Seattle Kraken begin play next year. [The Detroit News]

The Toronto Maple Leafs were another team that was surprisingly eliminated in the play-in round thanks to the Columbus Blue Jackets. With so much money and talent devoted to the ‘Hockey Mecca’ and nothing to show for it, some players may be wondering if they, too, have played their last game in the capital city of Ontario. [Pension Plan Puppets]