Penguins Draft Pick Tracker & Analysis

Round 1

No. 11 Overall Selection | Center Benjamin Kindel | 5/10, 176 | Shot: R

Team: Calgary (WHL) | 2024-2025 Stats: 65GP: 35 Goals – 64 Assists – 99 pts

Draft Buzz: Pittsburgh provides the first surprise of round one in selecting smallish forward Benjamin Kindel with the #11 selection. While an elite scoring machine center in juniors at just age 17, Kindel projects as a winger at the NHL level. What saw the Penguins go this direction is an To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Trade: Pittsburgh Trades Pick #12 to Philadelphia for Picks #22 and 31

No. 22 Overall Selection | RW Bill Zonnon | 6-2, 190 | Shot: L

Team: Rouyn (QMJHL) | 2024-2025 Stats: 64 GP – 28G-55A-83Pts

Draft Buzz: A second straight selection for the Penguins where they took a player a little higher than expected. Compared to Kindel, a dynamic offensive type of forward, Zonnon is the complete opposite in the mold of a combo rugged style player. This is a high energy player with size who excels in all areas of the rink. Near elite level prowess on the forecheck and the tough areas of the rink. He keeps pucks alive in the offensive zone and has enough offensive ability to create space for linemates while also being able to make 1-on-1 plays as a distributor. This is already a very coached up player in the puck support game and just knowing to be in the right spots. Some will knock the below average league he played in but Everything about him screams NHL role player, one scout alludes to with again the major question mark being his skating on how effective he’ll be down the road.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trade: Pittsburgh Acquires Pick #24 from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Picks #31 & #59

No. 24 Overall Selection | Center Will Horcoff | 6-5, 190 | Shot: L

Team: Michigan U | 24-25 Stats: 18GP: 4G-6A-10Pts

Draft Buzz: The third and final selection for the Penguins in Round 1, is a player who went right around where many expected. Horcoff, the son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff, is a towering 6-5 centerman who doesn’t possess the skill set his father did but there is so much to work with here from a size and strength standpoint. For a team that lacks any resemblance of legitimate center prospects, Horcoff has all the tools to be a formidable shutdown level third C down the road. Scouts rave about his three tier combo of size/strength/play away from the puck smarts where if he can takes some strides offensively, the Penguins could really have something here. What’s fascinating all three selections, is Horcoff also falls into the boat where there are skating questions that in a weak draft keep him away from being a top 15 type prospect. To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Day 2: Rounds 2 – 7

RD 2: No. 39 | Defenseman Peyton Kettles | 6-6, 195 | Shot R

Team: Swift (WHL) | 53 GP: 5G-9A-14 Pts

Draft Buzz: Third straight pick where the Penguins prioritize size in trading back into the second round and some will say a player who went earlier than expected, though, again this is one of those drafts. The book on Kettles is being a physically imposing young defender with shutdown ability in juniors. Why he was a late second-third round talent instead of a first-round talent is major questions about his puck moving ability against higher end competition as he develops.

Notable Draft Rankings: TSN’s Bob McKenzie – #56 | ESPN’s Rachel Doerri – #63

__________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 3: No. 73 | Defenseman Charlton Trethewey | 6’1, 200 | Shot: R

Team: NTDP (USHL) | 63GP: 6G-14A-20Pts

Draft Buzz: A Pittsburgh connection as Trethewey is an alumni of Penguins Elite program after moving to the area from Maryland during the pan to play with a more elite program for ages 14-U & 15-U. A Boston University commit, Trethewey was viewed in some circles as a potential first-round prospect due to a really well-rounded combo of physicality and mobility. His offensive numbers never spiked which saw him fall a bit into that late second, early third range. He’s going to be a player to monitor next couple years.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 3: No. 84 | Goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle | 6-4, 211

Team: Victoriaville (QMJHL) | 16-33-2, 4.52 GAA, .883 SV%

Draft Buzz: Penguins going goaltender this early was an interesting one. Talk about an NHL frame, D’Aigle has it at 6-4, 211, and scouts highlight his athleticism on side-to-side movement. What the Penguins really like about him is the physical tools and his ability on high-danger chances where he graded out among the top goaltenders in the draft. That said, he’s viewed as a major long-term project who needs a lot of strong coaching with a lot of to work with to be regarded as a prospect worth taking a swing on this early.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 3: No. 91 | Defenseman Brady Peddle | 6-3, 202 | Shot: L

Team: Waterloo (USHL): 62 GP: 3G-7A-10pts

Draft Buzz: Penguins take on Another stay-at-home type defenseman with good size that plays an imposing game where he’ll catch you with your head down. Starting to see a sign of prospect base the Penguins are trying to build, especially on the backend?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 4: No. 105 | RW Travis Hayes | 5-11, 175 | Shot: R

Team: Soo Greyhounds | 65GP-21G-30A-51Pts

Draft Buzz: The brother of WBS winger Avery Hayes, Travis is a first shot mentality type of winger who plays bigger than his frame. Very similar traits to his brother in how he attacks the game of hockey.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 5: No. 130 | C Ryan Miller | 6’0 178 | Shot: L

Team: Portland (WHL) | 50GP: 16G-15A-31Pts

________________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 5: No. 148 | D Quinn Beachesne | 6’0, 184 | Shot: R

Team: Guelph Storm (OHL) | 49GP-6G-18A-24Pts

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 5: No. 154| | RW Jordan Charron | 6’1, 190 | Shot: R

Team: Soo Greyhounds | 48GP-10G-11A-21Pts

______________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 6: No. 169 | LW Carter Sanderson | | 6’0, 196 | Shot: L

Team: Muskegon (USHL) | 48GP-5G-6A-11Pts

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

RD 7: No. 201 | C Kale Dach | 5’10, 165 | Shot: L

Team: Sherwood (BCHL) | 54GP-22G-65A-87Pts