The Los Angeles Kings claimed Lowell MacDonald in the Intra-League Draft, and realistically, there was no reason to believe that when the Penguins chose him, he would become a productive NHL player. That being said, his was the strange expansion world of the 1970s, and that is precisely what he would become.
Although he was a proven scorer with the Maple Leafs, he was not a fan-favorite in Toronto. As the Leafs were looking to rebuild anyway, Kessel was shopped around in the summer of 2015. They found a taker in Pittsburgh, and it turned out to be one of the smartest transactions that the Penguins ever made.
Martin Straka came to Pittsburgh as a 1992 1st Round Pick from Czechoslovakia, and he debuted that year, appearing in 42 Games for the team. Straka had a strong sophomore season in 1993-94, scoring 64 points, but the young forward was traded for a pair of gritty performers, Troy Murphy and Norm MacIver. This deal, however, would not be the end of Straka in Pittsburgh.