The Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season. After entering the season expected by many to be among the worst teams in the league, the Penguins instead made the playoffs. With this, it was a successful year for the Penguins. However, even after making the playoffs this year, it is clear that the Penguins are a team focused on the future. Because of this, it is certainly important for them to have a good 2026 NHL Entry Draft. In The Athletic's most recent 2026 NHL mock draft [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7295447/2026/05/27/nhl-mock-draft-2026-round-1-gm/], Corey Pronman had the Penguins select right wing Gleb Pugachyov with their first-round pick. Pugachyov would be a fascinating prospect for the Penguins to add to their system. The 6-foot-3 winger has the potential to be an impactful power forward in the NHL, so he could be worth taking a shot on for the Penguins if he is still available when they are on the clock. Pugachyov spent most of this season Russia's MHL, where he had 10 goals and 24 points in 33 games with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod. However, he also played in both the VHL and KHL this season. In 15 games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, he had two goals and an assist. In the VHL this campaign with Torpedo-Gorky NN, he had a goal and five points. Ultimately, the Penguins could use a promising forward prospect with size like Pugachyov. It will be interesting to see if they end up selecting him from here.
