On Monday night, we found out that the Penguins were picking 11th in the 2025 NHL Draft. And if they were in complete rebuilding mode, I’d gladly tell them to keep that pick and draft a player who will help them win games about three or four seasons from today.
Looking at the latest mock draft from Tankathon, the Pens will end up with Radim Mrka. Not a bad proposed selection, given Mrtka’s imposing size and playmaking ability. I’d be glad to see him end up with the Penguins, as early vibes tell me he’ll land body checks, punish opposing sequences, and quarterback the man advantage.
But with the Penguins aging but still capable core still intact, I’m playing for the present if I’m general manager Kyle Dubas. Yeah, the prospects pool is an intriguing bunch, and one that can trickle onto the big club systematically. Still, as long as Sidney Crosby can still give the team good returns year in and year out, you keep building around him.
Penguins could land a strong supplementary player if they trade the No. 11 pick
There are a few teams selecting near the front of the draft that would love to have a second pick in the top 11. The perpetually rebuilding San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks come to mind. Or, what about the New York Islanders, who shocked the world on Monday when they landed the top pick?
Hey, the Isles prospects pool is as barren as the planet Mars, so they’ll need a lot of help if they plan on stocking their pipeline quickly. Plus, there’s some older, albeit serviceable talent on the Isles. Trading for someone like Jean-Gabriel Pageau or Adam Pelech could work in the Penguins favor.
I could go out on a limb and say Ilya Sorokin, which would be an absolute blockbuster, but it’s a little far-fetched. Sorokin would need to waive his no-movement clause, and his $8.25 million cap hit could make Kyle Dubas cringe.
Still, you see my point, I hope? Yeah, the Penguins need to pump more prospects into their pipeline, but there’s still too much talent on this team to focus solely on the draft. Not with Sidney Crosby and the Big Four entering career twilight mode.
Penguins are in and should stay in win-now mode until Crosby hangs it up
With an intriguing prospect pool that includes Rutger McGoarty and Ville Koivunen, just to name a couple of players, the Penguins may not even need to rebuild at all as the Crosby Era nears its endgame.
Crosby still has at least another two elite seasons left, and if Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang stick around, along with Erik Karlsson, the Pens could turn this into a retool. That said, they can give up the 11th pick this season if it means bringing in someone like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who’s only in his age-32 and heading into his age-33 season come October.
In short, I wouldn’t keep the pick if I were Kyle Dubas. Trade it away in a packaged deal, get a player or players who can contribute now like Pageau, and work toward making a deep playoff run or a few as Crosby’s career winds down. Find creative ways to bring some youngsters (I’m looking at you, Doug Armstrong) in and turn this into a retooling effort.