SI.com hockey writer Darren Eliot will analyze each NHL team prior to the start of the season. Here's his take on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Goaltending

	Much is expected of young phenom Sidney Crosby, who could find himself on the No. 1 line alongside Mario Lemieux. Brian Bahr/Getty Images
	Penguins At A Glance HEAD COACH Ed Olczyk LAST TIME WE SAW THEM The Penguins finished last in the Atlantic division with 58 points, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. ARRIVALS Forwards: Ziggy Palffy, John LeClair, Andre Roy. Defensemen: Sergei Gonchar, Steve Poapst, Lyle Odelein. Goalies: Jocelyn Thibault. DEPARTURES Martin Strbak, Michal Rozsival, Kris Beech. FIVE KEY QUESTIONS 1) Will Thibault flourish in Pittsburgh? 2) Outside Gonchar and Tarnstrom, which blueliner will come up big this season? 3) How will phenom Crosby hold up for an entire NHL season? 4) At some point, will the Pens try to add some center depth? 5) Despite a thin defense, can the Pens make the playoffs?
	Darren Eliot's Season Previews CLICK HERE for previously posted previews.

Two seasons ago, Marc Andre Fleury was the future of the Penguins in goal. That is still true, except with radical upgrades to the roster, the Pens' future has moved up and begins now. Fleury is coming off an at-times wobbly season in the AHL and isn't ready to shoulder the load at the NHL level.

Thus the trade for underrated Jocelyn Thibault from the Blackhawks. He is a proven NHL netminder who has demonstrated the capacity to perform as a true No. 1 in the NHL.

BOTTOM LINE: Thibault is not big and he missed the majority of the 2003-04 season recovering from hip surgery and didn't play this past year. He has to return to health and form and the Pens need to mange his workload to ensure he doesn't wear down -- a problem at times in Chicago -- or breakdown.

Defense

With the splashy addition of Sergei Gonchar to go with Dick Tarnstrom, the Pens' power play has plenty of pop from the blue line. And unlike several teams, with Gonchar, the Penguins have a legitimate top defenseman who is experienced. Beyond him, though, the Penguins are stretched thin, relying on veterans Lyle Odelein and Steve Poapst to provide stability, while 20-something's Brooks Orpik and Josef Melichar must continue to improve as they produce.

BOTTOM LINE: The Penguins need to spend a lot of time on the power play because this group is undersized and vulnerable at even strength.

Forwards

Speaking of the power play, the forward unit is potentially frightening with Mario Lemieux, Ziggy Palffy, Mark Recchi and John LeClair all proven commodities with the man advantage. And, oh yeah, throw a kid named Sidney Crosby into the mix. Add Ryan Malone to the top six forwards and the Penguins are in good shape up to that point. After that, though, it is mix and match and anybody's guess as to who might prove productive.

BOTTOM LINE: Pittsburgh on the power play will be fun to watch and no fun to defend. They are a two-line team -- with little depth at center -- that has to score at the top and keep it even when their other lines hit the ice.

Coaching

Ed Olczyk is a communicator. He is a player's coach whose passion and personality positively affected his young, impressionable pre-lockout team. It was his first ever stint behind a bench and that on the job training will prove invaluable this season.

BOTTOM LINE: With much more to work with, Olczyk told me his approach wouldn't change. No matter. The expectations have, meaning the measurable becomes the age-old coaches standard of wins and losses. And that's another learning experience altogether.

2005-06 PENGUINS: Roster | Schedule | 03-04 Statistics | Team Page