The Pittsburgh Penguins have just four picks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26-27. They have #46 overall in the second round and then #137, #167, and #197 in the final three rounds. Their first-round pick was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that saw Rob Klinkhammer exchanged for David Perron. Their third-round pick went to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Marcel Goc at the trade deadline in 2014. Their fourth-round pick was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the move in which Zach Sill was traded for Daniel Winnik.
Second Round: There is a lot of fluidity in the draft rankings when you reach this tier. Different teams and different scouts will rank players in different ways, so often times you will see guys that could go anywhere from the late first round through the early third round. This makes it rather difficult to pinpoint a target for the #46 overall pick, but there are a few names to keep an eye on.
The general consensus is that the Penguins should target a forward in the second round as the team is lacking in quality top-six prospects. One player that may fit the bill is Jeremy Bracco from the U.S. National Development Team. Bracco is a speedy little forward that is known for his excellent skating and his offensive potential. Most scouts have him ranked in the late first, but some are expecting he’ll hold out until the second, while NHL Central Scouting has him even lower. This is largely due to his size, as he is just 5-foot-9 and 172 pounds. Another knock against him is that he is committed to Boston College in the fall; at this point he is a bit of a long term project.
Another option, particularly if the team really wants to find a fellow Russian to skate alongside Evgeni Malkin, is mammoth forward Alexander Dergachyov. He is a hefty 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds but shows solid speed and maneuverability for a player of his size. He played for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg of the MHL (Russia’s junior league), so there is still some uncertainty about how he will function playing in the adult leagues. Taking him in the second round may be a bit of a reach — most scouts expect him to go in the third round — but the Penguins do not have another pick until the fifth. One thing he will need to work on is being more consistent in his offensive game.
There is one defenseman who would be worth taking if his stock continues to plummet. Oliver Kylington was once considered amongst the top defenseman in the draft but he has been declining. Most still expect him to go in the late first round, but TSN’s Craig Button and NHL Central Scouting are both anticipating him falling to the middle of the second. The Penguins don’t really need more defense, but if a gift falls in your lap, you snatch up the best player available despite team needs. Kylington is a 6-foot, 174-pound, two-way defender that has been playing for Farjestad in the Swedish Hockey Leage.
Late Rounds: There are players whose rankings vary between the second and fifth rounds that might still be available by the time the Penguins pick again. One in particular stands out as a player that could turn out to be a late round gem.
Conor Garland is a forward with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats who won awards this season as the league’s top scorer and league MVP. However, he is just 5-foot-8 and 168 pounds, which is quite small for an NHL player, and caused him to be ranked lower than players of similar skill.
There are also a handful of players who went unsigned by their original teams and are re-entering the draft this year. Many of them will remain undrafted but might be invited to summer camps. There are some that may be worth a late rounder, though.
Edgars Kulda is a 6-foot, 192-pound forward who was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the seventh round last year. He played for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings along with Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry and was named the 2014 Memorial Cup MVP. He also played with prospect Teddy Blueger at the D1A World Junior Championships.
Brent Pedersen is 6-foot-2, 212-pound forward that was drafted by Penguins GM Jim Rutherford for the Carolina Hurricanes in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He also played with prospect Matia Marcantuoni on the OHL Kitchener Rangers.
Photo credits: USNTDP (main), Bildbyrån/Anna-Lena Bergqvist and QMJHL (insets)
