The Athletic's Corey Pronman released his latest 2026 NHL Mock Draft [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7315655/2026/06/01/nhl-mock-draft-2026-round-1-picks/], where he predicted the entire first round. When it came to the Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick, Pronman predicted that the Penguins would select defenseman Ryan Lin. Lin is certainly an interesting prospect as we inch closer to the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 5-foot-11 blueliner is known for his offensive skill and puck-moving ability, so he would have the potential to be a nice pickup for the Penguins if selected. This is especially so when noting that Erik Karlsson is 36 years old and Kris Letang is 39 years old. With this, the Penguins could use a right-shot defenseman with plenty of skill like Lin in their system. Lin spent this season in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, where he recorded 14 goals, 43 assists, and 57 points in 53 games. This is after he had five goals and 53 points in 60 games for the Giants during the 2024-25 season. With numbers like these, the Richmond, British Columbia native has shown plenty of promise in the WHL and would be a fascinating prospect for the Penguins to bring into their prospect pool. It will be interesting to see if the Penguins end up taking Lin with their first-round pick this year from here.
