Was Kevin Stevens a superstar forward in the shadow of Mario Lemieux or was he was only a superstar because of Lemieux? Many asked that question as Kevin Stevens topped over 100 points twice and was among the league leaders. The answer may have been somewhere in between. Stevens may not have reached those plateaus without Mario, but he was far from a pylon either. By 1995, injuries had really slowed him down, and he went from superstar to salary liability seemingly overnight. His good years were very good, but likely there were not enough of them to grant him entry.

With a devastating wrist shot and smooth skating skills, Sergei Gonchar has quietly put together a very good career in professional hockey. Gonchar is a four-time All-Star and had eight seasons of fifty points plus which is very good for a defenseman. With over twenty campaigns in the National Hockey League, Gonchar had a great career, but without that elusive Norris Trophy, the Russian may not be considered for the Hall despite being a two time Second Team All-Star. Perhaps his four All-Star Appearances and international play with Russia will assist his chances.

With the distinction the first ever Russian born player to be drafted in the first round by a team in the National Hockey League, Alexei Kovalev did not disappoint. Kovalev would score over 1,000 Points in the NHL and is a winner of the Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal as a member of the 1992 Unified Team. The crafty forward was a three-time All-Star and would earn Second Team All-Star honors once in his career.

In terms of the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jean Pronovost would make franchise history as the first player to score 100 Points and 50 Goals in a season.