2006 – 07 Pittsburgh Penguins season The Pittsburgh Penguins 2006 – 07 Season was ripe with potential , as the team featured one of the largest groups of young stars in the National Hockey League . Evgeni Malkin , the second overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft , defected from Russia prior to the season and joined the team . He promptly became the first NHL rookie since 1917 to score goals in each of his first six games . Malkin and second - year phenom Sidney Crosby were joined by 18 - year - old Jordan Staal , who made the jump directly from the Ontario Hockey League to the Penguins roster after being drafted second overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft . The Penguins also brought back Mark Recchi via free agency , giving Recchi his third stint with the team . The season was clouded with uncertainty , however , about the Penguins ' future in Pittsburgh . After Jim Balsillie had agreed to purchase the franchise for $ 175 million and to keep it in Pittsburgh , the situation seemed settled . Balsillie ' s deal fell through , though , in December . Isle of Capri Casinos was next to make a bid to keep the team in Pittsburgh , but their deal was nixed as well . On January 3 , 2007 , Penguins officials , including Mario Lemieux and other members of the team ' s ownership group , visited Kansas City , Missouri , to discuss potentials of relocating the team there . Other cities which reportedly have expressed interest in the franchise include Houston , Winnipeg , Portland , and Oklahoma City . On March 14 , 2007 , in a joint announcement by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell , Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato , Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl , and Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership group , it was made public that an agreement had been reached between the parties . A new state - of - the - art multi - purpose arena ( the Consol Energy Center ) will be built . This agreement will keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh for another thirty years . Following the announcement of this plan , the Lemieux ownership group announced that they no longer have plans to sell the team . On January 9 , 2007 , the NHL announced that Sidney Crosby had been voted by the fans to start at forward in the 2007 All - Star Game in Dallas . Malkin , Staal , and defenceman Ryan Whitney were all invited to All - Star Weekend to play in the YoungStars game . Playoffs . The Pittsburgh Penguins ended the 2006 – 07 regular season as the Eastern Conference ' s fifth seed . They lost to the Ottawa Senators in five games , in the conference quarter - finals . They would sweep the Senators in the playoffs the following season . Transactions . Lost to Waivers . Draft picks . Pittsburgh ' s picks at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver , British Columbia . The Penguins had the second overall draft pick , making the fourth consecutive draft the team had a pick in the top two : they had the first overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft ( Marc - Andre Fleury ) , the second overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft ( Evgeni Malkin ) and the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft ( Sidney Crosby ) . Farm teams . Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Penguins . The Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Penguins are Pittsburgh ' s top affiliate in the AHL for the 2006 – 07 season . Wheeling Nailers . The Wheeling Nailers are Pittsburgh ' s ECHL affiliate for the 2006 – 07 season . References . < div class = " references - small " > Goaltenders : Defensemen • • • • Forwards • • • • • • •