Penguins draft younger brother of Carolina star

The 17-year-old probably won't play in Pittsburgh right away.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup last week with a Staal as their top star. Within seconds of drafting Eric Staal's younger brother, new Penguins general manager Ray Shero said it could happen in Pittsburgh, too.
"We're looking forward to having Jordan Staal with us a long time and winning the Stanley Cup with him," Shero said Saturday after the Penguins chose the younger Staal with the No. 2 pick in the NHL draft.
That might sound like Sidney Crosby-like hype, but such expectations are nothing new for the third-youngest of the four hockey-playing Staal brothers from Thunder Bay, Ontario -- three of whom have been first-round picks. Eric went No. 2 overall to Carolina in 2003 and Marc went No. 12 to the New York Rangers last year.
Where will he play?
The Penguins' only problem with their newest draft pick -- and their fourth first-rounder in as many years to be chosen No. 1 or No. 2 -- is where to play him. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jordan Staal is a strong, fluid skater who has mostly played center and has little experience on the wing.
But with Crosby anchoring the No. 1 line and 2004 No. 2 pick Evgeni Malkin en route from Russia to center the No. 2 line, Staal's future may be on Crosby's line as a wing. Not that Staal seems to mind -- he seemed surprised to land with the Penguins despite having been interviewed by them twice last week.
"Yeah, I was pretty nervous," said Staal, who told the Penguins during one of those interviews that he expects to be the best of the Staal brothers. "I'm happy, and I hope I can step up and help them in the next couple of years."
Even if it's on the wing?
"I'll play wherever the coach puts me, as long as I have an opportunity to play -- even defense," Staal said.
Probably won't start
Unlike No. 1 picks Marc-Andre Fleury (2003) and Crosby (2005), Staal probably won't start as a rookie and may not play in Pittsburgh.
Despite his size, scoring touch, and ability to win faceoffs and play well in the defensive zone, there is some thought Staal may spend another season with Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League. He had 28 goals and 40 assists in 68 games last season.
Jordan Staal was eligible for this draft by only a few days; if he had been even a week older, he likely would have been the consensus No. 1 pick in next year's draft.
"He's 17, one of the youngest kids in the draft and he has plenty of room to grow," Shero said. "He's so big, and guys like that are awfully hard to contain. But we'll do what's best with him. We'll see [about his future] after we see him in the rookie camp and training camp."
Shero isn't worried about the abundance of centers on a team that, overall, still needs more talent to become a contender again in a competitive Patrick Division.
"Good players want to play with good players," Shero said.
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