The Pittsburgh Penguins have a chance to build their prospect pool during the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Penguins acquired the No. 12 pick in the draft, which originally belonged to the New York Rangers, the team announced on Tuesday. With the pick, Pittsburgh will now pick back-to-back after previously holding the No. 11 pick.
The Rangers made the decision to give away their pick to complete the trade they made with the Vancouver Canucks for J.T. Miller. If the Rangers didn’t give up the pick, they would have surrendered their 2026 pick without condition.
With the Penguins having two first-round picks, they will make 11 selections during the 2025 NHL Draft, including six picks in the top-100.
The team will have a lot of talent to choose from, but they are reportedly looking to move up, according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. They like Boston College forward James Hagens, but he is projected to go in the No. 5 to No. 7 spot of the draft.
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If they stay where they are, defensemen Kashawn Aitcheson and Jackson Smith will likely be available for the Penguins. They also reportedly like forward Roger McQueen, but would need to move up to get him as he is projected to go in the top 10.
Whatever the Penguins choose to do, the 2025 NHL Draft class is strong, meaning they can get a future impact player at any spot they pick at in the first round.
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