Draft Outlook
The 2026 NHL Draft will kick off on Friday evening at 7 p.m., opening with a single round that sets the tone for the next six rounds on Saturday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins hold the 22nd overall selection and will also control a second‑round pick acquired from Winnipeg, a second‑rounder at 54, a third‑rounder at 86 and a sixth‑rounder at 170 that came from Nashville.
General manager Kyle Dubas has been actively shopping for a higher spot, hoping to trade up before the first round begins. This year the team’s draft slate is front‑loaded, meaning there are no mid‑round selections to fall back on.
Fans can watch Round One on ESPN in the United States and on Sportsnet, TVA in Canada, while Rounds Two through Seven will be streamed on NHL Network, ESPN+ and Sportsnet.
Analysts have floated a handful of names as potential fits for Pittsburgh, including big centre Maddox Dagenais, smaller right‑handed defenseman Tommy Bleyl, and the more offensively inclined prospects Alexander Command, Mathis Preston, Xavier Villeneuve and JP Hurlbert.
If the unlikely scenario of Wyatt Cullen slipping to 22 materializes, the Penguins should pounce, but most expectations point to a realistic choice among the aforementioned prospects.
Securing a higher pick could reshape the roster’s depth and provide the franchise with a fresh talent pipeline as it looks to contend in the coming seasons.