The Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we’ve decided to go through the best Penguins’ players to wear each jersey number. Today, we continue the list by naming the best #6 in Penguins’ history.
Coincidentally – or perhaps not – the best #6 in the organization’s history happens to relate directly to the best #4 in team history, Rob Scuderi. Why?
Because Scuderi was traded for him, and it ended up being one of the most crucial trades in Penguins’ history – as defenseman Trevor Daley helped them win two Stanley Cups.
© Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports
Daley was brought to the Penguins via trade on December 14, 2015, which ended up being one of the most lopsided trades in franchise history. The Penguins sent an older, struggling Rob Scuderi to Chicago in exchange, and he ended up being shipped to Los Angeles and retired at the end of the season anyway.
On the contrary, Daley was a top-tier two-way defenseman with seven 20+ point seasons under his belt who happened to struggle at the beginning of the season for Chicago, and he clicked almost immediately in Pittsburgh. He registered six goals and 22 points in 53 regular season games with the Pittsburgh that season, he excelled at the transition game and rarely made mistakes, and he played an elite 200-foot game:
In the playoffs, he put up six points in 15 playoff games before fracturing his ankle in Game 4 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Final. He was the first Black hockey player to win a Cup with the Penguins. He was also the first player captain Sidney Crosby passed the Stanley Cup to, as Daley’s mother was battling cancer and watching the game from the hospital:
Daley went on to play a crucial role in the Penguins’ 2017 Stanley Cup run as well. He and fellow defenseman Justin Schultz had to step up their game since star defenseman Kris Letang suffered a herniated disk in his neck late in the regular season and was out for the playoffs. In addition to registering five points, Daley did some elite, clean shutdown work, with only four defensive zone giveaways and teams averaging just 2.26 expected goals-against per 60 – the lowest marks among regular Penguins’ defensemen in the 2017 playoffs.
His playoff performances in Pittsburgh aside, he is perhaps most remembered in Pittsburgh for his trademark slapshot bombs:
Daley was drafted 43rd overall by the Dallas Stars in 2002, and he remained with Dallas until being traded to the Blackhawks in 2015. He signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 2017 and played out the remainder of his career until 2020 in Detroit.
Honorable mentions: Jim Johnson, Ben Lovejoy, John Marino
