The Penguins weren’t much to look at when Marc-Andre Fleury debuted with the team in 2003-04.
Someone named Dick Tarnstrom led them in scoring. Modern-day punchlines Rico Fata, Milan Kraft, Konstantin Koltsov and Tomas Surovy got major minutes. Eventual Stanley Cup champion defensemen Rob Scuderi and Brooks Orpik were just first- and second-year players, respectively. Player-owner Mario Lemieux was limited to 10 games.
In the end, coach Ed Olczyk’s team staggered into the NHL’s year-long lockout with a 23-47-8-4 record. Hockey Reference’s Simple Rating System formula regards it as the third-worst team in franchise history.
Fleury, though, stood out.