Jaromir Jagr. (AP)

1998-99 record: 38-30-14, 90 points, 3rd Northeast Division
Coach: Kevin Constantine (78-54-32, two years as Penguins coach)
New faces: New owner Mario Lemieux, G Craig Hillier, D Sven Butenschon, D Pavel Skrbek, RW Boris Prostenko, RW Tom Chorske Gone: D Greg Andrusak, C Brian Bonin, D Maxim Galanov, D Viktor Ignatjev, D Tuomas Gronman
Strengths: Stability. After an uncertain summer, the Penguins were purchased by a group headed by Lemieux and will stay in Pittsburgh. One of his first moves was to reduce ticket prices for some 3,500 seats at ancient Civic Arena. RW Jaromir Jagr is the best offensive force in the NHL and coming off his first Hart Trophy as most valuable player. He led the NHL in scoring for the third straight season with 127 points, a whopping 20 more than his closest pursuer. C Martin Straka enjoyed a career season with 35 goals and 48 assists. More importantly, he stepped up in the playoffs with 15 points and helped Pittsburgh stun New Jersey in the first round, when Jagr was injured. The acquisition of RW Alexei Kovalev last season added much-needed scoring depth, provided his head is screwed on straight.
Weaknesses: In 1997-98, Constantine's first season, the Penguins cut their goals-against from 280 to 188. Last season, the figure crept up to 225 and there are persistent rumblings that Jagr is not happy with the coach's system. G Tom Barrasso was good enough to eliminate the top-seeded Devils but he's 34 and injury-prone. There isn't much goaltending depth, with Peter Skudra, Jean-Sebastien Aubin and former first-round draft pick Craig Hillier vying for the backup job. While the Penguins were able to sign most of their free agents, they added only Chorske, a role-player at best. D Darius Kasparaitis, Pittsburgh's most physical defender, was a training camp holdout after missing 34 games with a knee injury last season. The Pens are still waiting for RW Alexei Morozov to live up to his potential. Last season, he had only nine goals and 10 assists in 67 games.
Constantine says: "I think that probably the biggest key is continuity in staff and players. We can use last year's playoffs as a jumping off point, not as something we're trying to get to. A lot of learning has gone on the last two years. We are all better for it. A lot of our key players are young enough that they will continue to get better. Jagr, Straka, Kovelev, those guys are not 35, 36, 37. They are still on an upward curve, where they continue to get better."