The Pittsburgh Penguins met with a lot of players during the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine last week, where some of them stood out and are worth keeping an eye on heading into the draft later this month.
One week ago, the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine was nearing its end, with media availabilities populating the Friday and Saturday schedules.
And, as of today, there is a bit clearer a picture of who the Pittsburgh Penguins may have their eyes on heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft at the end of June, as the list of players they were confirmed to meet with was quite rich.
In some ways, it seems obvious that GM/POHO Kyle Dubas should probably target a defenseman with the Penguins' first-round pick, as the prospect pool at that position is pretty thin. Luckily, this draft is chock-full of talent on the blue line, but that will also leave some pretty big talent up front by the time the Penguins are making their selection, assuming they don't move from 22nd overall.
There were some standouts from the Combine, and may are names that have probably been circulating around. Here are five players - plus a few more - that Pittsburgh was confirmed to have met with and who fans may want to keep an eye on heading into the draft.
1. C Ilia Morozov (Miami University, NCAA)
On his meeting with the Penguins: "That was a great interview. Yeah, it was great. Pretty much every team were talking my offensive game, but they are not sure if it's going to develop at a high level. That's what they were trying to, kind of, ask me about.
"In some way, I liked the criticism. I like to take other people's opinions, kind of filter that, and understand what I need to work on. You know, this meeting was special because [we], kind of, watched the bad highlights right away, and you're supposed to explain what was your thought process during that. That was pretty challenging."
If you look at a lot of prospect evaluations of Morozov, there is a general consensus that his ceiling might not be super high. Most project him as a solid two-way bottom-six center with not much more upside than that. He is a pretty strong skater and brings a solid all-around game, but he lacks the high-end offensive talent to elevate himself.
Of course, Morozov disagrees with that sentiment. But, one thing that was pretty clear at the Combine is that this guy does possess some of those valuable "intangibles." He is very self-aware, possesses a high degree of hockey intellect, and seems like an excellent leader and teammate. In fact, he stuck around media availability and acted as a translator for other Russian prospects.
In some ways, he reminds me a bit of Rutger McGroarty personality-wise and in terms of potential: He may be someone who takes longer to develop and could be a middle-sixer at best, but the reliability is there as well as the maturity and the "intangibles" that you want to see from a young player.
2. RW/LW Adam Novotny (Peterborough Petes, OHL)
On his meeting with the Penguins: "They showed you your clips, usually negative ones. But, obviously, I think they just want to hear how you're going to react to "many failures," if I could say it like that. And I think I did well. I think they told me I did a good job, so it was nice. I like my coaches to be honest with me. [For] all the people around, I just want to hear the truth, not walk around something and not be honest. I always appreciate that feedback and how is that going to get better, right? So, for sure, I was happy for that."
Honestly, Novotny brings a bit of everything: He has an underrated shot (and uses it a lot), he has puck skills, he can play both wings up and down a lineup, he's deployed on both special teams units, he's physical, he's unrelenting in terms of pressure, and he's a workhorse who can log heavy minutes. He also mentioned that he understands how important the mental side of the game is, and he compared himself to Mason McTavish.
If he can continue to develop an upward trajectory, he has the potential to become a versatile hybrid power forward. After the combine, I did some homework on this guy, and I really like what I see. He seems to be the exact kind of straight-line player the Penguins would target - similar to Bill Zonnon and, even, Porter Martone, in some ways - and, for lack of a better way to explain it, he strikes me as a guy who just "gets it" and understands what it takes to be a pro.
3. RD Ryan Lin (Vancouver Giants, WHL)
On his meeting with the Penguins: "That was an interesting one. We went through a couple clips they showed, and yeah, they were hard on me, but I like that, so... Yeah, I think it's great, like they want to kind of put a little pressure and see how you handle it and how you answer their hard questions."
There is almost no way that Lin - probably the best defenseman in the tier below the Keaton Verhoeffs, Carson Carels, Alberts Smits, and Daxon Rudolphs - will be available by the time the Penguins are selecting at 22.
However, if by some chance he is, he's not someone they'll want to pass on.
Lin's all-around game is already pretty well-developed for a young blueliner, and he is a smooth operator in transition. His playmaking and vision stand out, and he loves to carry the puck, too. He was the standout on a young blue line for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship U-18s, and his mobility and his offensive ceiling is intriguing.
As it has been stated elsewhere, the Penguins desperately need higher-end talent in their system on the blue line. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound two-way defenseman fits the bill.
4. LD Malte Gustafsson (HV71 Jonkoping, SHL)
On what teams wanted to know most about him: "Just about a bit of my background, my family. Just wanted to get to know me as a person."
Gustafsson is a big, smooth defenseman in transition at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, and there is a fair amount of offensive upside to his game. He excels at breakouts and thrives in one-on-one defensive situations, kind of remniscent of Kris Letang in his younger years.
Gustafsson may not have as high an offensive ceiling as Lin, but his floor makes him coveted. He is a solid two-way defenseman at this juncture already, and he can be deployed realiably in just about every situation. At the combine, he said he likes to watch Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Gustav Forsling, and while he acknowledged that they are lofty comparisons, there are some stylistic similarities, even if they're not direct comparisons.
Again, the Penguins need more blue line talent in their system, so if someone like Gustafsson happens to fall to them, it would be a hard opportunity to pass on.
5. C Wyatt Cullen - (US National Development Team, USHL)
On his meeting with the Penguins: "It went really well," Wyatt said. "They showed some bad clips of you, but I think it's really good. They kind of helped me out a bit and gave me some good tips, so I think it went really well."
This one seems fairly obvious, as Wyatt's Penguins' connection to the Penguins because of his two-time Stanley Cup-winning father, Matt, sticks out like a sore thumb.
But, if the Penguins were to select Cullen - and, like several others on this list, they may have to trade up to do so - it wouldn't be because of bias. It would be because the talent is legitimately there.
He was over a point-per-game pace in the USHL this season, so that already speaks for itself. But it's his all-around play and the manner in which he affects the game in so many ways that stands out. He has the speed and tenacity to be an effective player at the NHL level, he uses the middle of the ice well, and he is solid in his own zone.
Again, Cullen will likely be gone by the time the Penguins select, as his draft stock has risen considerably. But he's intriguing enough to make trading up a few spots a possibility.
A few more to keep an eye on:
LW J.P. Hurlbert (Kamloops Blazers, WHL) - Hurlbert was a teammate of Penguins' defenseman Harrison Brunicke, who has spoken highly of him in the past. Pittsburgh has had ample opportunity to scout him, and in his rookie season, he registered 97 points in 68 games. He's dynamic offensively, so he shouldn't be overlooked.
LW Niklas Aaram-Olsen (Orebro HK - U20, Nationell) - Aaram-Olsen is an interesting one to me, as he has an intriguing combination of power and skill. The Norwegian winger has climbed up the rankings substantially in this last calendar year, so it would not be surprising if teams see even more value in him than most are expecting.
LD Xavier Villeneuve (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL) - Another Penguins' connection here, as Zonnon was Villeneuve's teammate this season. He is a pure offensive defenseman, and that dynamic offensive ability separates him from every other defenseman in this projected selection vicinity. Like Hurlbert, the Penguins probably scouted this guy plenty throughout the season.
LW Jaxon Cover (London Knights, OHL) - He may have played on roller blades until he was 13 years old, but Cover has developed seamlessly into a player who could be selected right in the Penguins' range in the second round at 39th overall. In fact, he could even sneak into the first round. He has a good all-around skillset as well as excellent puckhandling skills and a high-end shot. He's a player with a nice ceiling.
RW Nikita Klepov (Saginaw Spirit, OHL) - Klepov's offensive game is lethal, and he generates so much from his speed and his creativity. Like Hurlbert, he had 97 points last season - leading the OHL - but the ceiling is probably a bit higher because of his playmaking and puck skills and how quickly he processes the game on the offensive side of the puck.
