LAS VEGAS -- The Penguins currently aren't scheduled to be active on Day 1 of the NHL Draft on Friday here in Las Vegas.
They don't make their first pick until the second round on Saturday, and they have two pretty high picks in that round -- 44th and 46th overall, the 12th and 14th picks of that round. They can land some pretty good prospects in that range.
I went to the NHL's Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this month and spoke with several prospects who are projected to hear their names called somewhere around where the Penguins pick. Some will obviously go earlier, some will end up falling lower in the order. Here are links to those profiles, ranked in the order I'd pick them if it were up to me and they were still available:
• Stian Stolberg, defenseman, Valerenga (Norway)
• Dean Letourneau, forward, St. Andrew's College (Canadian high school)
• EJ Emery, defenseman, U.S. National Team Development Program
• Sam O'Reilly, forward, London Knights (OHL)
• Matvei Gridin, winger, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
• Tanner Howe, forward, Regina Pats, (WHL)
• Jesse Pulkkinen, defenseman, JYP (Liiga)
• Henry Mews, defenseman, Ottawa 67's
• Dominik Badinka, defenseman, Malmo Redhawks (SHL)
• Teddy Stiga, forward, U.S. National Team Development Program
• Cole Hutson, defenseman, U.S. National Team Development Program
• Julius Miettinen, forward, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
• Alfons Freij, defenseman, Vaxjo (Swedish U20)
• Maxim Masse, winger, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
• John Mustard, forward, Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
• Lucas Pettersson, center, MoDo (SHL)
• Marek Vanacker, winger, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
• Leon Muggli, defenseman, EV ZUV (Swiss)
• Adam Jecho, forward, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
I would maybe modify that order for the second of the two second-round picks depending on who they take with their first one. Generally, teams try to take the best player available. It's hard to draft for a positional need when these players are years from pushing from an NHL spot and needs could change in the meantime. But the Penguins really do need defense prospects. So, say they take a forward with pick No. 44, I'd aim for defense with No. 46.
Now, my profiles only focused on the players with whom I actually spoke at the combine. The NHL aims to invite the top 100 prospects to the combine, but not everyone can attend, including a couple of the Russian players around that range. There were also a couple I was hoping to speak with but weren't able to do a media availability due to their tight schedule with meetings or getting home on the last day. So, the list might not encompass all potential picks. This also isn't like the NFL Draft, where even this early in the draft can be projected with a decent degree of accuracy. With these players coming from all kinds of levels and many different countries, the rankings get real muddy starting late in the first round.
I have a couple more profiles to finish up over the next couple days leading up to the second round as well.
KEY DRAFT INFO
When: Friday, 7 p.m. Eastern (Round 1), Saturday, 11:30 a.m. (Rounds 2-7)
Where: Sphere, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Friday); NHL Network, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Saturday)
This will be the NHL's last in-person draft, where general managers, other team staff, agents, prospects and media all have the opportunity to converge in the same place. Starting next summer, the draft will be more like the NFL's, where teams stay in their respective cities and make their picks from afar.
Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini is the consensus No. 1 overall pick this year. You can read my story on Celebrini from the combine here. Other expected top picks include Russian forward Ivan Demidov from SKA, Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov from the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers, American defenseman Zeev Buium from the University of Denver and Canadian forward Cayden Lindstrom from the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers.
ALSO ON THE SCHEDULE
Also in Las Vegas this week ...
Thursday, 7 p.m Eastern: NHL Awards at Fontainebleau Hotel. The Penguins don't have any finalists, but I'll have any notable updates in the Penguins feed. Many of the awards have already been awarded, announced by the league during the playoffs. The awards remaining for the actual awards show are the Calder Trophy (Outstanding Rookie), Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player), Norris Trophy (Outstanding Defenseman), Vezina Trophy (Outstanding Goaltender) and Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player, as voted by members of the NHLPA).
Friday, 6 a.m.: Finland and Sweden will each announce the first six players for their respective rosters for next season's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Friday, 11 a.m.: Canada announces its first six 4 Nations Face-Off players.
Friday, 11:30 a.m.: The U.S. announces its first six 4 Nations Face-Off players. Players (it sounds like only some) selected from the four rosters will hold a media availability shortly after.
PENGUINS' PICKS
• 44th overall (second round) -- Acquired from Hurricanes in Jake Guentzel trade
• 46th overall (second round)
• 111th overall (fourth round)
• 175th overall (sixth round)
• 207th overall (seventh round)
• 223rd overall (seventh round) -- Acquired in a pick swap with the Rangers in last year's draft. The Rangers wanted to move up from 91st to the Penguins' 90th overall in the third round, and they threw in this pick along with the swap of thirds. The Penguins picked defenseman Emil Pieniniemi after moving down a pick.
The Penguins' missing first-round pick went to the Sharks to complete the Erik Karlsson trade. That was a top-10 protected first-round pick that the Penguins could have deferred until 2025 had their pick been in the first 10, but the pick they had was 14th and automatically transferred when they didn't move up in the lottery.
The missing third-round pick went to the Ducks in exchange for the Ducks taking on the remainder of the Brock McGinn contract. The missing fifth-round pick went to the Sharks in the Nick Bonino trade.
FIRST ROUND ORDER
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. San Jose Sharks (from Sabres)
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Buffalo Sabres (from Sharks, from Penguins)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Washington Capitals
18. Chicago Blackhawks (from Islanders)
19. Vegas Golden Knights
20. New York Islanders (from Lightning)
21. Los Angeles Kings
22. Nashville Predators
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
24. Colorado Avalanche
25. Boston Bruins (from Senators, from Red Wings, from Bruins originally)
26. Montreal Canadiens (from Jets)
27. Carolina Huricanes
28. Calgary Flames (from Canucks)
29. Dallas Stars
30. New York Rangers
31. Anaheim Ducks (from Oilers)
32. Philadelphia Flyers (from Panthers)