Pittsburgh Penguins: 2025 NHL Draft Rounds 2–7 Recap

Here’s a look at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ picks and moves in Rounds 2–7 of the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Penguins came out swinging early on Day 2, orchestrating a key trade to get back into the second round. They sent Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau to Buffalo in exchange for Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick. With that pick, Pittsburgh selected:

Peyton Kettles (No. 39) – A towering 6′5″, right-shot defenseman from the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. Scouts describe him as “extremely young (turns 18 on September 1st, 2025)” for the draft class. He needs to work on his physicality in front of the net, but he plays with an elite defensive stick, making him tough to defeat one-on-one. Something that Penguins General Manager, Kyle Dubas, were targeting on defense.

Kettles has a personal connection to Pittsburgh, having been a teammate alongside current Penguins prospect Owen Pickering. On draft night, Kettles remarked, “It’s definitely a cool full-circle moment,” referencing his first hockey jersey being Evgeni Malkin’s.

The Penguins had three picks in the third round:

1. Charlie Trethewey (No. 73) – Another 17-year-old defenseman who is originally from Maryland, grew up playing in Pittsburgh’s youth system while living with his grandfather in Mt. Lebanon, making this a hometown story. He’s described as a two-way blueliner and a knack for blowing up plays. He’s also considered a good puck mover who likes to score.

2. Gabriel D’Aigle (No. 84) – A Quebec-based goaltending prospect, whose hometown is the same as Penguins legend Marc-André Fleury, and they even share the same goaltending coach.

3. Brady Peddle (No. 91) – 18 years old, 6’3”, left-shot defensive defenseman, rounded out the group.

The Penguins had just one pick in Round 4, Travis Hayes (No. 105) – A forward, notable for family connections. He joins brother Avery Hayes, who’s already under contract in Pittsburgh’s system.

In round 5, the Penguins added three more players:

1. Ryan Miller (No. 130) – forward

2. Quinn Beauchesne (No. 148) – defenseman 

3. Jordan Charron (No. 154) – forward 

In round 6, the Penguins selected Carter Sanderson (No. 169) – A USHL standout, is a 6′1″ forward becomes the first NHL draftee from South Dakota. He has been described as super competitive. Although that hasn’t shown up on the stat sheet yet for Sanderson, he’s extremely young with room to grow.

Closing out their weekend, in round 7, the Penguins took Kale Dach (No. 201) – A forward from the BCHL and future Penn State commit, scoring over 1.5 PPG. He’ll join Calgary Hitmen teammate Benjamin Kindel before heading to Happy Valley in 2026.

Across Rounds 2–7, the Penguins made 10 picks, bringing their weekend total to 13 selections in this year’s draft, the most they've acquired in almost four decades. 

The team's focus was clear—add both quantity and quality. The Penguins' pipeline appears to have physical, high-hockey-IQ defensemen, while adding skilled forward depth and high-upside projects. It's a well-rounded crop aimed at both short- and long-term gain. 

One thing to note, passing on local kid, L.J. Mooney, from West Mifflin, could be troubling down the line. Mooney arguably was the most talented in the entire draft class, but his size at 5’7 was the difference between being drafted in the first round, versus the fourth round, which is where the Montreal Canadians selected him. 

It remains to be seen how this draft will be remembered, because most, if not all, of these prospects are believed to be at least three to four years away from playing in the NHL. The Penguins are aware of that, but replenishing the talent pool has been long overdue. 

Ultimately, the jury will be deliberating on this draft for a long time. If all of the maneuvering, all of the moving pieces, trading down, then trading up, fail to produce any quality NHL talent, resulting in the Penguins outsmarting themselves, it could set the franchise back even longer. 

Only time will tell.

Chart courtesy of https://www.eliteprospects.com/