How Experts Graded Penguins’ 2025 NHL Draft

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted over 10 players in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday, so how did NHL experts rate their draft?

A large part of Pittsburgh’s draft was in the first round, drafting three players on Friday. The team focused mainly on forwards in the opening round, but looked at defense as the draft went along.

ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie gave the Penguins a B due to her believing that their first round could have been better. Pittsburgh’s first pick was at No. 11, choosing Benjamin Kindel. Doerrie liked the pick, but thought that there were better options for the front office to choose from.

Their next pick was Bill Zonnon, who many NHL experts think will be an NHL player in the future. With the Penguins’ final pick on Friday, they chose Will Horcoff, whom Doerrie seemed not to be too high on.

“If (Horcoff) hits his ceiling, he’s going to be a solid complementary player in the middle six. Failing that, he’s likely to top out in a depth role,” Doerrie wrote.

Bleacher Report’s Nicholas Nathanson was in a similar range as ESPN, giving Pittsburgh’s draft a B-. Throughout his report, he gave multiple teams a C and handed the Colorado Avalanche the worst draft. Nathanson doesn’t explain the grade but seems to believe the Penguins had an okay draft.

Finally, the Score’s Kyle Kushman followed the theme of other experts, grading the Penguins with a B.

Kushman had similar thinking to Doerrie, believing Pittsburgh’s front office left some talent on the board. Kindel was supposed to go in the No. 20 range, leading Kushman to think the Penguins could have grabbed someone else.

“While the Penguins added much-needed talent to their pipeline, it’s hard to overlook the surprising Kindel pick at No. 11,” Ksuhman wrote. “The 5-foot-10 center was expected to go in the 20s. Though he has the skill to become a top-six producer, Pittsburgh left a lot of other talent on the board to reach for an undersized pivot. Zonnon and Horcoff bring competitiveness and some projectable size. It’s a big class for the Penguins that helps fill out a weak prospect pool, but the decision at No. 11 will define their draft.”

With drafting seven forwards, Pittsburgh has made sure to address its needs and had a strong day two. Pick No. 73, defenseman Charlie Trethewey, impressed ESPN. In the later rounds, they also picked up Peyton Kettles and Quinn Beauchesne, who were also good finds by the Penguins.

“On Day 2, the Pens got excellent value in Charlie Trethewey, who could blossom into a fourth or fifth defender with excellent puck movement,” Doerrie wrote. “Peyton Kettles and Quinn Beauchesne were two other selections I liked, and both have legitimate NHL upside.”

More NHL: Here’s Roundup Of Penguins’ 2025 NHL Draft First Round