The Pittsburgh Penguins Need To Hit On Their Second-Round Picks

Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will be turning 37 on August 7th.

Ok now that I made you feel old, let's talk about how the window in Pittsburgh is barely cracked open.

Evgeni Malkin is 38 years old, while Crosby and Kris Letang will both be 37 by opening day. The team has no first round draft picks, and there are question marks throughout the lineup, including in net. 

The Penguins lost their first round pick to San Jose in the Erik Karlsson blockbuster trade but did add a second round pick from Carolina in the Jake Guentzel trade. 

General Manager Kyle Dubas is in a tough situation in Pittsburgh. On one hand, you want to give Crosby, Malkin and Letang one more chance of making a long run in the playoffs. On the other hand, you have to make sure you can have a competitive team on the ice when the older superstars retire and start their Hall-of-Fame clocks.

Dubas has started to stockpile some young prospects in the organization. He drafted center Brayden Yager last year in the first round and he obtained forwards Ville Koivunen and Cruz Lucius in the Guentzel trade. 

Here is a look at the Penguins top 10 prospects today.

1.  Center- Brayden Yager- 1st round pick in 2023 and the highest ceiling of any Penguins prospect.
2. Left Wing- Ville Koivunen- Acquired via the Jake Guentzel trade. Koivunen can be a high end winger who can take over for the loss of Guenzel and become a solid linemate of Yager, in hopefully 2025-2026.
3. Defenseman- Owen Pickering- First round pick in 2022 and the best defensive prospect in the system. Pickering has added bulk to his frame and should be here sooner than later.
4. Goalie- Joel Blomqvist- Second round pick in 2020, played very strong at Wilkes-Barre last season and looks like a future starting NHL goaltender. 
5. Left Wing- Tristan Broz- Also a second round pick in 2021, Broz has improved each season at Denver University and had an exceptional postseason run this season, scoring three overtime goals. He has since signed a three-year contract with the Pens and could be on the fast track to PPG Paints Arena.
6. Center- Vasili Ponomaryov- He is coming off his second strong AHL season and skates the way Mike Sullivan loves. He could be a bottom-six player this season in Pittsburgh.
7. Forward- Sam Poulin- He is a first round pick from the 2019 NHL Draft. Poulin had his best professional season last year and then was beset by injuries. This needs to be a make or break season for Poulin and he should be counted on to contribute for the big league club in 2024.
8. Right Wing- Cruz Lucius- He was obtained in the Jake Guentzel trade and has led the University of Wisconsin in scoring the past two seasons. He is more of a long term project who still is raw on the defensive side of the game.
9. Center- Mikhail Ilyin- He was a 5th round pick in last seasons draft, which is starting to look like a strong Penguins class. At only 19-years-old he scored 12 goals in the KHL last season and has the looks of a strong mid-six player.
10.  Goalie- Sergei Murashov- The 4th round pick in 2022 has become a diamond in the rough for Pittsburgh. He is under contract for a few more seasons, so he won’t be in North America any time soon. He has the potential to be a starting NHL goalie and has dominated Russia’s second toughest league.

The Penguins don’t have a first round pick, but they have two picks in the top 50 (46 and 48) and they need to keep adding quality prospects to the organization. Here are three probable second round picks that Draft Nation thinks could be great additions to their farm system.

• Left Wing-Tanner Howe, Regina Pats (WHL)

Tanner Howe plays the game hard and does the dirty things needed to win games and has the potential to score goals. After watching the tape of him, Draft Nation saw a young Patric Hornqvist. The ex-Penguin Hornqvist was known for playing with heart and scoring big goals, Howe is not quite as strong as Horny, but he is a more proficient skater. When the Penguins play in two or three seasons the team is going to be a rebuilt product. Tanner Howe is a player who can help you on the second line and play on special teams, while adding some sandpaper to the lineup. He is projected anywhere as high as 25 and as low as 50, so he could easily be off the board by pick No. 44.

• Defenseman- Spencer Gil, Rimouski (QMJHL)

Spencer Gil is a 6-foot-4 defenseman who is still growing into his body. He is effective at moving the puck and has excellent hockey IQ in the offensive end. He is underweight at 182 pounds but should bulk up the next couple of seasons. He is a bit on the raw side but has the frame and skill level to evolve. Gil could be a nice addition to a defensive corps, which will most likely be led by Owen Pickering in a season or two. Gil is projected in the 40-50 range and there is a very good chance he could be there when the Penguins select.

• Center- Luke Misa, Mississauga (OHL)

Luke Misa is a tad bit undersized but can play a fast paced game and has excellent vision in the offensive zone. He was able to orchestrate the Steelheads power play and just has the look and feel of a player that Mike Sullivan would love to have at his disposal. Misa could settle in as a solid No. 2 center behind Brayden Yager in several seasons. He is projected to go between picks 35 and 55 so he should be in the Penguins range. 

These are just a couple of players that Draft Nation thinks could help the Penguins in round two. One thing is for certain, this is an important draft for Pittsburgh as they try to bridge the transition from Sidney Crosby to Brayden Yager, which is coming very fast.