The Pittsburgh Penguins organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we decided to go through the Penguins’ best players to wear each jersey number. Today we continue the list by naming the best No. 49 in Penguins history.
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Only four players have worn No. 49 for the 1999 Penguins. There’s really only one player who stuck around long enough and did well enough to earn this distinction.
That player is Dominik Simon.
Simon was drafted by the Penguins in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He spent parts of six seasons with the Penguins, with the only breaks being a stint in Calgary in 2020-2021 and the final stretch of his NHL career in Anaheim at the end of the 2021-2022 season.
Simon wasn’t really known for his finishing touch, but was a bit of an analytical darling, excelling in forechecking and creating chances but falling short in production. He spent a lot of time playing next to Sidney Crosby, and he was a puck-possession monster on that line.
But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his own attacking moments:
After his one-season stint in Calgary, Simon returned to the Penguins in 2021-2022. That was short-lived, however, as he was traded to Anaheim at the last minute at the 2022 deadline, along with teammate Zach Aston-Reese, in the trade that brought Rickard Rakell to Pittsburgh.
Over the course of his Penguins career, Simon recorded 22 goals and 73 points in 228 games. He currently plays in the Czech Republic.
Related: Best Penguins by jersey number: #48
Related: Best Penguins by jersey number: #47
Related: Best Penguins by jersey number: #46
