Penguins Draft 2 Finns in 7th Round, ‘Scouts Were Pounding on Us’

VANCOUVER — The Pittsburgh Penguins European scouts were banging the table at the end of the 2019 NHL Draft. There was talent left to take in the final round and they pushed for a double dip. The Penguins swapped their 2020 seventh round pick with San Jose in exchange for one more seventh-round pick in this year’s draft. The team’s Euro scouts wanted a pair of Finnish prospects and they got both. The Penguins selected small defenseman Valtteri Puustinen (203rd) then quick and lighter defenseman Santeri Airola (211th).