Subscribe
Follow Us
The 2025 NHL Draft has come and gone, and there was one team busier than most. The Pittsburgh Penguins did not trade a star player like the New York Islanders did with Noah Dobson. Nor did they use their picks to move into the top 10. But they came away from the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles with 13 new prospects.
Three of these prospects came during the first round. Seven of the 13 prospects came in the first three rounds. For a prospect pipeline in desperate need of talent, the Penguins had a fantastic opportunity here. They had a clear chance to inject their pipeline with multiple potential NHLers on a similar timeline.
Pittsburgh hopes they've landed some talents for the future. They won't know for certain what they have for a few seasons. In any event, let's take a look at this enormous draft class and had the Penguins an initial grade for the quality of their 2025 NHL Draft class.
A boom-or-bust goaltender
Normally, we would go over the Penguins' first-round picks at the beginning of any deep dive. However, let's focus on another pick at the beginning. In the third round, Pittsburgh selected Victoriaville Tigres goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle with the 84th overall pick. And this may be the most intriguing selection in the entire 2025 NHL Draft.
D'Aigle was known as one of Canada's best junior netminders for a while. In fact, he backed up Canada's U18 team as a 16-year-old in 2023. However, his performances have not been up to snuff over the last few seasons. This has made his NHL projection quite hard to read.
On one hand, D'Aigle has the tools to become not just a starting goalie, but an elite one. On the other, he struggled mightily when facing more shots on net as the Tigres began sliding down the standings. D'Aigle can read the puck better than most goalies, but he struggles with low shots on the net, which can lead to really unfortunate goals.
D'Aigle was one of the most frustrating talents to evaluate. The potential is clear, but there are so many inconsistencies and holes that it's hard to know what's real about him as a prospect. The Penguins believe they can get the best out of him, though. If they can, this may be the steal of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Penguins' first-round haul
Moving on to the headliners, the Penguins had three first round picks in this draft. Initially, they entered with two first-rounders thanks to the New York Rangers. However, Pittsburgh traded the Rangers pick — 12th overall — to the Philadelphia Flyers for picks 22 and 31. Pittsburgh would move back up to 24 before things were said and done.
With these selections, Pittsburgh selected Benjamin Kindel (11th overall), Bill Zonnon (22nd overall), and William Horcoff (24th overall). All three players are forwards. And all three of them project to play in the NHL in some capacity. However, the picks are a bit hit and miss relative to their draft selection.
Kindel was looked at as a potential first-round pick, with his range starting around the late teens to early twenties. However, Pittsburgh elected to take him right outside of the top-10. Kindel is certainly a fine prospect. He is an exceptional offensive presence who can drive play and use his skating to create chances. In saying this, he projects as a middle-six forward. ClutchPoints graded this selection a C+ on draft night.
We were higher on the selection on Zonnon, though he went earlier than our last 2025 NHL Mock Draft had him. Again, Zonnon projects as a middle-six option. However, that's fine value in this draft and at his selection. For this, we graded the selection a B, but there are legitimate concerns about his game. The most notable is his skating.
William Horcoff may be the most intriguing of the Penguins' first-round picks. The Michigan product is a fantastic presence in the defensive end of the ice. And he has some fascinating playmaking ability. He projects best as a third-line shutdown center, but if the playmaking comes around, the Penguins could have something interesting here.
The Penguins didn't entirely strike out here. While they failed to add any player with a comfortable top-six projection, there are aspects of each of these players that could see them outperform their draft selection. And even if they don't, Pittsburgh needs the talent they bring, so it's hard to knock their first-round haul too much.
Good value in mid-to-late rounds
Where the Penguins truly shined in the 2025 NHL Draft was in the mid-to-late rounds. Pittsburgh had some duds, which is to be expected with a draft class of this size. However, they also found potential gems in the latter stages of the draft. None of them are top-six potential superstars, but they have a comfortable NHL projection.
Defenseman Charlie Thretheway, the 71st pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, had some buzz as a potential first-round pick earlier in the season. He is an incredible mobile defender who possesses a great shot. Moreover, he will run through opponents without any hesitation. He could become a second-pairing defenseman if his development goes well.
Defenseman Quinn Beauschesne, the 148th pick in this draft, may be a steal. Some viewed him as top-100 player in this class. The Guelph Storm star showed promise as a legitimate shutdown defenseman. He did struggle with turnovers, which dropped his stock, but cleaning those up would put him on track toward the NHL.
Winger Jordan Charron is another name to watch. He went with the 154th pick, but could have gone well before this point. He is a high energy winger with strong skating and playmaking ability. His passing especially pops off the tape, as he is able to thread a needle with the passes he can pull off. Charron needs a larger role with the Soo Greyhounds, and if he can get it, he could put himself on the NHL map in short order.
These players give the Penguins more potential NHL talent well into the “let's see what the kid's got” phase of the draft. Yes, all of these players have work to do. But it's not too difficult to envision these players making the Pittsburgh roster one day.
Grade and final thoughts
The Penguins receive a fine grade for their 2025 NHL Draft class. Pittsburgh did not have the best class in the league, but it's certainly one of the better ones. The sheer depth of this class certainly helps, but there is a lot of quality, as well. Pittsburgh did not find a comfortably projected top-six player, but this could be an important class for them moving forward.
Penguins draft grade: B+
Best pick: Bill Zonnon – Round 1, Pick 22
Worst pick: Carter Sanderson – Round 6, Pick 169
Most intriguing: Gabriel D'Aigle – Round 3, Pick 84
