Penguins Get Strong Center with 22nd Pick: Forward Bill Zonnon
With the dust still settling from the Pittsburgh Penguins reaching for playmaking center Benjamin Kindel at No. 11, the Penguins management again selected a player ranked lower by scouting services when they selected forward Bill Zonnon of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Using the 22nd overall pick acquired in the earlier trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, in which the Penguins traded the 12th overall pick for Nos. 22 and 31, the Penguins took the QMJHL forward who is known to use his size to control puck battles and keep the puck away from defensemen.
Zonnon can play all three forward positions as different services list him at different positions, from LW, RW, and center. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder had 28 goals last season and 55 assists.
“I could see myself playing in the middle. That’s where I played pretty much the whole season, so I’d like to keep developing there,” Zonnon said. “And obviously, I’m still 18 years old. So I’ve got a long way to go to potentially play down the middle in the NHL. That would be my goal. My strengths are just my compete and my versatility. I’m very good offensively, but I’m really reliable defensively, as well. Like I told Kyle Dubas, they’re gonna get everything that I’ve got.”
There is a lot to like about Zonnon, as he generates scoring chances and is a playmaker with good straight-line speed.
The downsides are inconsistent effort, defensive awareness, and he won only 45% of his faceoffs. And despite creating a significant number of high-danger scoring chances, Zonnon also finished a below-average number of them (12.5%), according to Neutral Zone Scouting.
However, despite the low grades from scouting services, several also project him to grow into a second-line center potentially.
Personal Side
Unlike Will Horcoff, whom the Penguins drafted with the 24th overall pick, Zonnon is not from a hockey family, or even a family that had ever seen hockey until later in life. Zonnon’s parents are from Togo (Africa) and arrived in Montreal to attend college when they were about 25.
Growing up in Montreal, the hockey bug bit. It helped that the kid of African descent had a hero on his favorite team. Zonnon gravitated toward the game because of former Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban.
“They meant a lot to me and are one of the reasons that I’m here today,” admitted Zonnon.
Categorized: Penguins Penguins Prospects
Love his shot, but hope he can improve his skating.
His skating isn’t “smooth”, but he has better speed than what I would have thought. I think he’s going to be a really good player for this team for a long time
inconsistent effort–that has to be a major concern.
Quinton Byfield Lite.
Not sure why you got downvoted for this one. It’s actually not a terrible comparison. Zonnon’s skating isn’t where Byfield’s was, but there are a lot of other things that are similar.
Hopefully his dad is a big guy, because while tall, he is not strong compared to the men playing in the NHL now. None of these kids really are.
He’s 6’2 190 lbs. That’s a pretty strong 18 year old
A first round pick wasted on a bottom six player?
The armchair GMs are truly entertaining to read. Not to mention the constant “Ben Kindel is a reach” at 11. I got news for you, Dan…he’s not. And I’m willing to make a fairly substantial bet that not only does he become a borderline “Star” for the Pens on the 1st or 2nd Line, but that he also stays at Center.
I hope you’re correct. And I also wish our comments would stay attached to stories for longer than a few weeks. 🙂 There have been quite a few receipts I’ve wanted to look up. 😁
I agree with you about Kindel. I also feel like Zonnon has a higher ceiling than most on here believe. There were analysts who had Zonnon in their top 10. Just because the big scouting sites don’t have someone listed high up, that doesn’t mean that the NHL clubs don’t. This pick was very good at this place to me. Also, if you look at Kindel’s tape, the scouting reports, the entire package, the kid is one of of the most complete players in this draft. The only negatives are straight line speed (not extremely important when you have hands… Read more »
Sorry, that was long. But, I agree. Kindle is 100% a top 6 player that could end up being a star. Zonnon’s floor is a productive 3rd line center. But, his ceiling is a second line center or a Horquist style, net front, winner, with better hands.