Penguins Second Round Targets at NHL Draft
The Pittsburgh Penguins can find two quality prospects with their second-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft.
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins gave up their first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft when they acquired Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. The result is they won't have the 14th overall selection in the upcoming draft.
Despite lacking a first-rounder, they acquired an additional second-round pick from the Jake Guentzel trade. That leaves the Penguins with the 44th and 46th overall picks in the upcoming draft. It may feel like the Penguins are worse off, but they still have an opportunity to grab highly touted prospects to add to their system. Here's just a few names to watch as the 2024 NHL Draft approaches.
1. Aron Kiviharju - Defenseman
Kiviharju was a top-20 talent in the draft before injuries limited him to just some international play and seven games with HIFK in Finland's top professional league. The Penguins have to hope that teams are scared off by this and allow him to slip to one of their second-round choices.
Kiviharju is a solid, two-way defender, but he's only 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 depending on who you ask. Despite lacking in height, he's a stout player who is not easily disrupted from his stride or separated from the puck. He makes clean passes and projects to be a top-four defender with power play capabilities. He probably won't make it out of the first round, but if he does, he certainly fits the Penguins' needs and will be one of the most talented players on the board.
2. Jesse Pulkkinen - Defenseman
The Penguins may want to go in the opposite direction regarding size. If so, they could have another Finnish defender in Jesse Pulkkinen. He is a massive defenseman, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing just under 220 pounds.
When you first look at him, you assume he's a younger version of Hal Gill, but that would be incorrect. He loves to join the offensive attack, perhaps a bit too much, and skates much better than expected. He needs to learn to pick his spots better and bear down in his own end, but he has the looks of an NHL defender in the making.
This past season, he played in the top Finnish league, their secondary league, and their under-20 junior league. In the top league, he put up a respectable eight points in 29 games as an 18 to 19-year-old.
Pulkkinen may be a few years away from impacting the Penguins' roster with his age and size. He's a late first-round/early second-round prospect, so expect to see his name pop up around the Pens' selections.
3. Dean Letourneau - Forward
Another player who may or may not make it to 44 is forward Dean Letourneau. He is a whopping 6'7 and 210 pounds, so his size alone has many teams chomping at the bit to develop him.
He also brings a legitimate offensive toolkit. He dominated at St. Andrew's prep this past season, scoring 127 points in 56 games, which broke the previous school record.
Committed to Boston College, he's a long-term project. The upside for any tall and powerful player is the Tage Thompson archetype. He doesn't project to be that, but he could be a legitimate second line forward down the line. If he falls, the Penguins should absolutely take a flyer on him.
4. Dominik Badinka - Defenseman
Not that the Penguins should be picky about young talent, but they don't have any right-handed defensemen under 24 in the pipeline. That seems to always be a premium in the league, and the Pens could add a legitimate prospect in Dominik Badinka if he's available.
Badinka is a puck moving defenseman who can start the break out with ease. He's not a goal scorer or power play specialist, but he would be an excellent part of a team that likes to play quickly and have their defensemen jump into the attack.
He played this past season in the Swedish SHL and their junior league. He put up 13 points in 17 games at the junior level, and then played 33 games with the top league where he registered just four points.
There are lots of names that will be on Pittsburgh's radar as the 2024 NHL Draft approaches. Don't be surprised, however, if one of these players winds up in the Penguins' organization.
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