With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins have their work cut out for them.
Since the Penguins have a total of 30 picks over the next three drafts, including 11 this year - which could reduce to 10 if the conditional first-round pick from the New York Rangers defers to 2026 - there will be plenty of opportunity for the Penguins to add impact players. Of their 11 picks in 2025, six of them are in the first three rounds.
After the results of the draft lottery on May 5, the Penguins will officially select 11th overall, dropping down two spots from where they originally were at ninth. As such, we have compiled a list of potential draft prospects that should fall around the Penguins' selection.
We recently profiled center Jake O'Brien, forward Victor Eklund, and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson. Next up? Center Brady Martin.
Penguins Drop Two Slots In NHL Draft, Will Pick 11th Overall
In past draft lotteries, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have seen their fair share of luck.
Brady Martin
DOB: Mar. 16, 2007
Position: Center
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 170 pounds
Team: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
When looking at the Penguins' farm system, the center position is a dire area of need, especially in terms of high-end talent.
And someone who continues to climb higher and higher in 2025 NHL mock drafts is Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin.
Once projected as a mid-late-round pick, the hard-hitting Martin is now finding himself in top-10 conversations. For the Greyhounds this season, he registered 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games, and the back half of his season was particularly strong.
He also impressed at the IIHF U18 World Championship, when he recorded three goals and 11 points in seven games - in addition to 29 penalty minutes.
Martin is a true two-way center by nature. He forechecks like a menace, is relentless on pucks, and has a strong net-front presence. He plays with a high level of energy and is consistently one of the hardest workers in any given game. His defensive acumen is a core foundational aspect of his game.
But one of Martin's best attributes is his shot. And it's a shot that should play at higher levels of hockey.
He is one of the most skilled players in this draft class, and that is becoming less and less of a secret. Martin has the ultimate all-around toolset to become a higher-floor player at the NHL level, and his skill and production combined with his disruptiveness is making him a higher-value target.
Martin could benefit from improving his skating - which is certainly not a negative, by any means - and his mobility. And his decision-making in terms of when to defer to teammates could use some work, which is something he can build on as he climbs to higher levels of hockey.
But aside from those few things, there's not much to dislike here.
Honestly, Martin may be gone before the Penguins select at 11th overall. But, if he is available, it's also worth remembering that he is an Soo Greyhound - giving him a connection to Dubas, who was the GM of the Greyhounds from 2011-14.
If he is still available at 11, he will be a hard player to pass on.
NHL comparables: Bo Horvat, Sam Bennett, Robert Thomas
Penguins Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson
With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching fast, POHO and GM Kyle Dubas and the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> have their work cut out for them.
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