Following the 1996–97 season which saw their Hall of Fame star Mario Lemieux retire, the Penguins attempted to continue keeping their recent success.
Former San Jose Sharks Head Coach Kevin Constantine was hired as Johnston's successor, promising to replace his predecessor's free-form style of play with a more disciplined approach.
Additionally, Ron Francis was named captain in Lemieux's absence, and the team acquired center Martin Straka via free agency to add offense.
The team also acquired the rights to defensive-defenseman Jiri Slegr, who had spent the 1996–97 season playing for Sodertalje SK in Sweden.
The Penguins have been involved in the following transactions during the 1997–98 season:[18] 1998 3rd round pick Jiri Slegr Jason Woolley 1998 5th round pick Francois Leroux 1998 3rd round pick Greg Johnson Tuomas Gronman rights to Patrick Lalime Sean Pronger rights to Josef Beranek Bobby DollasTony Hrkac David RocheKen Wregget Todd HlushkoGerman Titov The Penguins drafted the following players at the 1997 NHL entry draft at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh:[28] The Johnstown Chiefs of the East Coast Hockey League finished last overall in the Northern Conference with a record of 23–41–6.