Prospect Info: 2025 Draft discussion

[Mr. T]

Rangers losing 5-0 to Buffalo and it’s just the 1st. I can’t wait for that pick to turn into McKenna.

We must use our collective willpower to make sure this happens.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I haven't watched any Frondell, but apparently he's coming on real strong after a slow start. To the point where he's cracking the top 4 in some people's rankings.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t see the Rangers being worse next year. They’ll make moves and find a different coach.

 

[chethejet]

I don't think Pens are in top 5 this year. Maybe 7 to 10 but even at 7 Pens get a very good player. Rangers at say 14 gives the Pens a nice C/RW as a position of need. Pens draft a young center there if say O'brien is there. It will take a couple years of nice picks with the current prospect pool to ice a decent young team with some FA adds with cap room.

 

[Rudy Russo]

I don't think Pens are in top 5 this year. Maybe 7 to 10 but even at 7 Pens get a very good player. Rangers at say 14 gives the Pens a nice C/RW as a position of need. Pens draft a young center there if say O'brien is there. It will take a couple years of nice picks with the current prospect pool to ice a decent young team with some FA adds with cap room.

If the penguins pick seventh overall and if McQueen, Desnoyers or O'Brien would be selected by the pens I'd be very happy.

 

[Jacob]

One thing is a couple of the teams worse than us have been tanking for years and years and might actually see a strong finish as more beneficial than yet another higher pick. Buffalo in particular, but also maybe Montreal.

 

[WickedWrister]

I don’t see the Rangers being worse next year. They’ll make moves and find a different coach.

I tend to agree but Shesterkin has been borderline bad this year and their core is aging. Like 5 of their top 6 are in their 30's. Right now I think there's a greater than 50% chance their pick tolls to next year (it's currently 12th). All it takes is him getting injured next year or continuing to be poor and we have a potential lottery pick. That $11.5m contract for Igor could look terrible. Fingers crossed

 

[Malkinstheman]

Honestly it wouldnt be the worst thing if the Pens get pick #6 and the Rags end up finishing around 14/15. Pick Frondell and then Id try trading up with one of the thirds to get Mrtka.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Honestly it wouldnt be the worst thing if the Pens get pick #6 and the Rags end up finishing around 14/15. Pick Frondell and then Id try trading up with one of the thirds to get Mrtka.

I feel Mrtka probably goes around where the Penguins pick will be in that scenario. His numbers aren't eye popping but I think a team will see the frame/skills and conclude he's worth using a top-10 pick on.

Without a lottery win, I'm hoping for Mrtka with the Penguins 1st and O'Brien with the Rangers 1st.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't think it's a sure thing by any means, but that Rangers team is old, they're gonna have Shesterkin making insane money which basically negates the cap jump entirely, and they have no depth. It reminds me of the like early 2000s Rangers teams that had a shitload of big names but they were old and the team just kinda sucked ass.

I'd keep that pick man. Even if the Rangers don't continue to tumble next year and it ends up being like 20th overall, that's a nice lotto ticket to have lying around. Short of landing a guy who is gonna be a long term, impact player for this team in the post-Sid era--which I don't think you're landing via trade with the Rangers' pick--keep the pick imo.

 

[Jacob]

In the 5-9 range I think it’ll be hard to F that up. Frondell has appeal, Desnoyers has a lot going for him. I even like Eklund’s pure offensive upside too. If somehow a Martone or Hagens falls you snatch them up and thank the hockey gods. I like Carter Bear too.

I keep going back and forth but Desnoyers seems like the most perfect pick if one of the top guys doesn’t fall. Center, good size, good skater, relatively mature 200-ft game, leading his team in scoring by a lot so you can’t say he’s a product of some overager on his line. Outside of that top 4 he seems like he’s the closest to being NHL-ready.

Only luke-warm on O’Brien and if the draft was today I’d be real hesitant on McQueen but if he has even a so-so finish he’s probably back in the top-10 convo.

My only don’t-touch players are Jackson Smith and Lakovic.

 

[Jay Gray]

I feel Mrtka probably goes around where the Penguins pick will be in that scenario. His numbers aren't eye popping but I think a team will see the frame/skills and conclude he's worth using a top-10 pick on.

Without a lottery win, I'm hoping for Mrtka with the Penguins 1st and O'Brien with the Rangers 1st.

In this weak draft, I would be surprised if Mrtka didn't go top 10. Huge RHD with good numbers, albeit largely from major TOI but still can't see him going outside top 10.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The only guy that really concerns me as far as being a potential outright bust is McQueen. Every time I've looked into him, he's always attached to this "skating needs a lot of work to be NHL caliber, area of huge concern" stuff. Skating isn't the be all, end all--you shouldn't ignore stuff like skill, frame, for the sake of getting a guy who skates well--but if it's that much of a concern it should be an automatic disqualifier for a guy imo. The game's shifted so much in the past decade that guys who are average/mediocre skaters nowadays probably would've been considered good skaters years ago. Skating is the bar of entry pretty much.

 

[Andy99]

The absolute last thing we should be taking again is a player who needs to work on his skating lol…the first two qualities we should be picking in round one is exceptional skating and top notch hockey IQ…everything else is no where near as important…

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Just fall to the top-4 and take whoever ends up being there when you pick. Hagens, Schaefer, Misa, Martone--they'd all instantly be the best Penguins prospect (on paper) since Staal in 2006.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I don’t see the Rangers being worse next year. They’ll make moves and find a different coach.

logic and shesterkin suggest this

But we can hope.

 

[Ulf5]

In the 5-9 range I think it’ll be hard to F that up. Frondell has appeal, Desnoyers has a lot going for him. I even like Eklund’s pure offensive upside too. If somehow a Martone or Hagens falls you snatch them up and thank the hockey gods. I like Carter Bear too.

I keep going back and forth but Desnoyers seems like the most perfect pick if one of the top guys doesn’t fall. Center, good size, good skater, relatively mature 200-ft game, leading his team in scoring by a lot so you can’t say he’s a product of some overager on his line. Outside of that top 4 he seems like he’s the closest to being NHL-ready.

Only luke-warm on O’Brien and if the draft was today I’d be real hesitant on McQueen but if he has even a so-so finish he’s probably back in the top-10 convo.

My only don’t-touch players are Jackson Smith and Lakovic.

I know it's only highlights and it was only 10 minutes. But I just watched Desnoyers videos. That kid makes it happen. Gets the puck up ice fast. Then either gets that lethal shot off or sets up a teammate.

 

[Gurglesons]

In the 5-9 range I think it’ll be hard to F that up. Frondell has appeal, Desnoyers has a lot going for him. I even like Eklund’s pure offensive upside too. If somehow a Martone or Hagens falls you snatch them up and thank the hockey gods. I like Carter Bear too.

I keep going back and forth but Desnoyers seems like the most perfect pick if one of the top guys doesn’t fall. Center, good size, good skater, relatively mature 200-ft game, leading his team in scoring by a lot so you can’t say he’s a product of some overager on his line. Outside of that top 4 he seems like he’s the closest to being NHL-ready.

Only luke-warm on O’Brien and if the draft was today I’d be real hesitant on McQueen but if he has even a so-so finish he’s probably back in the top-10 convo.

My only don’t-touch players are Jackson Smith and Lakovic.

Desnoyers or Eklund is the pick if we drop into the 5-10 area.

I'd go Desnoyers just because I have no faith in this org properly developing an Eklund. Eklund is the better player IMO almost to the point where I think he should go in the top 5.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I don't think Pens are in top 5 this year. Maybe 7 to 10 but even at 7 Pens get a very good player. Rangers at say 14 gives the Pens a nice C/RW as a position of need. Pens draft a young center there if say O'brien is there. It will take a couple years of nice picks with the current prospect pool to ice a decent young team with some FA adds with cap room.

Don't look now but the pens are sitting #6 from the bottom, only a point ahead of Seattle. They're four points up on Buffalo but BUF has three games in hand. #4 from the bottom is about as low as I see them go, but that's pretty nice for the draft. A little lotto luck and we're in business.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Pretty much hoping we don't get the 1st overall pick though. While Schaefer would be nice I don't think he'd be worth risking missing out on Dupont or McKenna.

"As part of the 2021 lottery rule changes, the NHL also decreed that a team cannot win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span (starting with the 2022 lottery)."

 

[The Old Master]

Pretty much hoping we don't get the 1st overall pick though. While Schaefer would be nice I don't think he'd be worth risking missing out on Dupont or McKenna.

"As part of the 2021 lottery rule changes, the NHL also decreed that a team cannot win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span (starting with the 2022 lottery)."

if you finish last and get the first pick, does it still count as winning the lottery?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

One EP scout on Desnoyers:

"I think Desnoyers is a bit unique in this draft. Picking him in the top 8 is likely leaving some upside on the table, but his floor is likely something around an impact middle-six forward. He is a fine pick if you are looking for a certain pro projection."

 

[Jdodd]

I stated this before but what do you do if your the Rangers and this pick ends up at #12. Do you give the pick to the Pens in a weaker draft or do you bet/hope your a playoff team next year. For me this is the best position for the Penguins.
Also, impossible to predict a value from year to year but is the 2025 #12 pick valued at the #17 pick of the 2026 draft? Tough to answer that until next year imo.

 

[Gurglesons]

One EP scout on Desnoyers:

"I think Desnoyers is a bit unique in this draft. Picking him in the top 8 is likely leaving some upside on the table, but his floor is likely something around an impact middle-six forward. He is a fine pick if you are looking for a certain pro projection."

Which if we have a pick in the 7-10 range is probably what we should be shooting at given the lack of anyone in our prospect pool that projects as a center.

 

[Malkinstheman]

if you finish last and get the first pick, does it still count as winning the lottery?

Yeah it does. The last place team only has a 25.5% chance of getting the 1st overall.