The Penguins kept up the trend of drafting European players with the selection of Latvian winger Raivis Ansons with the 149th overall pick in the fifth round of the NHL Draft on Wednesday.
The Penguins originally held pick No. 139, but traded the pick to the Avalanche for pick No. 149 and pick No. 211.
Ansons, 18, is 6-foot-1, 185 pounds and a left-handed shot.
Ansons moved to North America for the 2019-20 season and played with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last season, where he was teammates with Penguins prospect Nathan Legare. He scored 13 goals and 22 assists in 60 games, playing right wing for the Drakkar.
Penguins scouting director Patrik Allvin said that the Penguins had a lot of staff members watching the Drakkar this season because of Legare, and that they were intrigued by Ansons' "size, speed, and we do think that there is more production to come for him."
Ansons is still property of the Drakkar for the 2020-21 season but is currently on loan to Latvian club Zemgale as a result of European players not being able to join their QMJHL teams yet due to coronavirus restrictions. He recorded two assists in his first game with Zemgale this season.
SCOUTS SAY
NHL Central Scouting ranked Ansons the 100th best North American skater of this draft class. He was ranked among the North American skaters because Central Scouting classifies players by where they play, not their nationality. EliteProspects projected Ansons to be drafted No. 119 overall.
EliteProspects: "He knows where to skate to continue supporting teammates on the rush. He pressures opponents, wins the puck, and protects it with his frame. Ansons does the little things that star offensive forwards sometimes prefer not doing. He's a trusted penalty killer, always adopts risk-mitigating positioning, and easily switches from one assignment to the other."