It's a new season, and with the month of October in the books, that means it's time for the first Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects update of the season.
GM/POHO Kyle Dubas has managed to infuse the Penguins' organization with a lot of promising talent in the last couple of years by acquiring prospects accruing draft capital, and the Penguins' enhanced development staff has also helped young players already in the organization begin to find potential paths to the NHL.
And the position that probably needs growth the most is the back end.
The Penguins do have some talent in their system on the blue line, most notably in defensemen Harrison Brunicke and Owen Pickering, both of whom are currently at the NHL level. But they're still looking to gain high-end talent - especially with Emil Pieniniemi out of the picture, for now - and they may have added some this offseason during the draft.
Here is our October Penguins' prospects update for defensemen:
Finn Harding
Harding, 20, has steadily risen up the defensive depth chart in the Penguins' organization. He signed his three-year entry-level contract over the summer, and he is continuing his solid run of play into this season.
Selected in the seventh round (223rd overall) of the 2024 Draft, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound blueliner impressed the organization last year when he registered seven goals and 57 points in 67 games with the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL last season. Harding - traditionally more of a shutdown defensemen - said his goal the summer prior was to round out his game and bring out the more offensive side of it.
He did play in three ECHL games at the end of last season, and he's getting his opportunity in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) this season. In seven games, he has one point and is an even plus/minus, and he's been deployed mostly with Scooter Brickey on the team's bottom-pairing.
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All things considered, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have a <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/with-breadth-of-positional-depth-in-the-system-penguins-defensive-prospects-eager-to-take-next-steps">pretty deep prospect pool on the blue line</a>.
The Penguins hope to see continued two-way growth from Harding this season, and the right-sot defenseman mentioned during training camp that he is still trying to improve his skating.
Daniel Laatsch
Laatsch, 23, is a big, shutdown defensemen who spent four seasons with the University of Wisconsin before joining the Penguins' organization this season. During his time there, he amassed six goals and 26 points in 126 games to go along with a plus-5 rating.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound blueliner began the season in Wheeling (ECHL), and he quickly earned his way onto WBS's roster, putting up four points in 3 games and coming in at a plus-6. He is slated to play in his first AHL game on Saturday, when WBS takes on the Utica Comets.
The left-shot defenseman figures to get a run in WBS for as long as Pickering is at the NHL level.
Peyton Kettles
The Penguins selected Kettles 39th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and the 18-year-old has already been in the headlines in the earlygoing this season.
The 6-foot-5, 196-pound Kettles was involved in a blockbuster CHL trade Thursday when the Kelowna Rockets acquired him from the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for a package involving another defenseman in Jackson Gillispie and five draft picks - including a first-rounder.
This should go to show how much Kettles was coveted in the WHL, where the young blueliner started off the season with Swift Current by registering a goal and two points in two games. He is, primarily, known as a shutdown defender, and he saw some time with Pickering from 2022-24, when their time overlapped at Swift Current.
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It will be interesting to see what happens as Kettles begins to settle in Kelowna, who is hosting the Calder Memorial Cup championship this season.
Brady Peddle
Peddle, 18, was selected in the third round (91st overall) in 2025, and he was injured during Penguins' training camp. A product of the USHL, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defender knows how to use his size, and he's attempting to develop a bit more of a two-way game this season.
And he is spending the 2025-26 season with the Charlottestown Islanders of the QMJHL, where he has six assists in 17 games so far this season. The Penguins sought to add size on the blue line with the 2025-26 draft class, and Peddle is another one of those guys - and he plays with an edge, too.
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Quinn Beauchesne
Beauchesne was easily one of the biggest surprises of prospect development camp in July, and he was also invited to NHL training camp, where he was among the very first roster cuts.
Still, this kid is certainly one to watch. The smooth-skating, intelligent right defensemen was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) in 2025, and he immediately caught the eye of many because of his play in transition.
There is still a lot of growth to be had in Beachesne's game, and he has started out his 2025-26 season with the Guelph Storm of the QMJHL with two points in seven games. But if he can develop up to the potential that some in the organization think he is capable of, this could very well end up being a fifth-round steal for the Penguins.
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Chase Pietila
The 21-year-old Pietila had a stellar campaign last season at Michigan Tech, as he registered seven goals and 22 points in 36 games and took home CCHA Defensive Defenseman of the Year honors.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, he saw stints in both Wheeling and WBS, recording three points in nine ECHL games and appearing in three AHL games. That earned him a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins this summer.
He made WBS's roster out of training camp this season, and so far, he has three points in nine games and is a plus-7, primarily seeing minutes on the team's second pairing.
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Pietila's growth over the last year has been very encouraging, and the Penguins - who have struggled defensively in recent years - sure could use as many defense-oriented defensemen as they can get their hands on.
If he continues to develop in an upward trajectory, Pietila could find himself in the NHL sooner rather than later.
Charlie Trethewey
There is perhaps no non-first-round selection from the 2025 draft class with more upside than Trethewey, who - in the year leading up to the draft - was projected by many to land somewhere in the first round.
Alas, he was selected in the third round (73rd overall) by the Penguins after his draft stock fell a bit. But don't underestimate the youngest player in the Penguins' 2025 class.
Trethewey has a little bit of everything sprinkled into his game, which includes mobility, ability in transition, defensive awareness, and physicality. Part of what brought him down in rankings is that he doesn't stand out big-time in one particular area, but the potential for him to build on all aspects of his game is what makes him an intriguing prospect.
He is currently playing for Boston University as a freshman, where he has one point and is a plus-2 in seven games. Keep an eye on Trethewey's progression, as he could end up being a diamond in the rough for the Penguins.
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Joona Vaisanen
Vaisanen - a sixth-round pick (175th overall) in 2024 by the Penguins - enjoyed a strong season with Western Michigan University last season - and that was both on an individual basis and a team basis.
Not only did Vaisanen have four goals and 26 points at a plus-24 in 42 games, he and Western Michigan also ended their season by winning the National Championship, and Vaisanen registered an assist in the title-clinching game. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound right defenseman knows there is a ton of defensive depth on the Penguins' right side, but he - like some others - keeps himself solidly in the conversation.
He is off to a hot start for Western Michigan this year, too, amassing six points in seven games so far. If Vaisanen can maintain a near-point-per-game pace, look out: The fact that he was a big part of Western Michigan's road to the pinnacle of college hockey should tell you about some of the potential the 21-year-old has - and he just keeps getting better.
Not to sound like a broken record, but definitely someone to keep an eye on.
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Kalle Kangas
The big 6-foot-4, 198-pound defenseman is currently suiting up for HPK Hameenlinna in Finland, where he has one point and is a minus-1 in 14 games so far.
It's hard to say exactly how Kangas - 20 - is going to evolve as a defenseman. He was drafted in the seventh round (223rd overall) by Pittsburgh after being passed on in two consecutive drafts, and, so far, he still has a lot to prove in order to work his way up the depth chart.
Kangas - like Pieniniemi - did represent Team Finland at the World Junior Championship last season, putting up one assist in seven games. Hopefully, the Penguins can continue to see more growth from afar there with Kangas.
Notable injuries: Emil Pieniniemi (suspended)
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