Pascal Dupuis

One thing I have noticed as a hockey fan, is that there are some weird, wacky and wonderful names that fill up the NHL rosters. 

I have looked these team rosters up and down, and narrowed them down to the best names from around the league. Sure, there are some names that you think should belong on this list, but there were some I choose to omit due to commonality and recognition.

Others have been left out of this because there was simply nothing to write about other than their excellent play, which has nothing to do with their names. Or does it?

When Brian Burke joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as their new general manager in Nov. 2008, he was very forthcoming about how to build a team.

Burke has always felt that an NHL team should be built from the net out and, just as importantly, expects his players to be put into roles that they can succeed in.

Sporting a record of six wins and six losses, one of which came in overtime to confer the illusion of being over .500, the 6-5-1 Pittsburgh Penguins closed out October with a 3-0 shutout victory in Raleigh, N.C., against the Carolina Hurricanes.

In 2008, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero shocked the hockey world with one of the most aggressive moves of his career.  As time was running out on the NHL trade deadline, Shero acquired Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis from the Atlanta Thrashers. 

Which of the current Penguins can play top six roles?

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For the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2009-2010 season has been one centered around resilience and answering the call of being "the targeted ones" as defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Fighting for Lord Stanley isn't the same as it used to be; now it's much more difficult to find repeat winners because of the evolution of the game and players who lace up every game.

But despite the pressures on this still very young team, the Pens have managed to put together another solid roster full of players who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the possibility of a repeat.

I have put toget

Say what? No Sidney Crosby in the mix?

While I feel Crosby has been clearly the Penguins' overall MVP for the 2009-2010 season, the recent play of Pascal Dupuis and Jordan Staal have kept a flat Penguins team at a top four position in the Eastern Conference following the Olympic break.

March has typically been kind to the Pens, but it has been a bit of a struggle this season.

When the Pittsburgh Penguins are being discussed in articles, on TV or any other media outlet the first forwards mentioned are inevitably Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal (usually in that order). There is very good reason for this to be the case.

Sidney Crosby is the face of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise, as well as the NHL.