Penguins' X-Generation revival mirrors 2003-04: Crosby anchors a veteran core while a hopeful wave of prospects—Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Owen Pickering, Philip Tomasino, Tristan Broz, and Avery Hayes—gives fans a glimpse of a future franchise core. The piece links Lemieux-era uncertainty to today’s rebuild, notes Karlsson’s star power in 2025-26, and recalls Fleury and Malone as bridge figures, all under a stable Pittsburgh backdrop as the cycle turns.