NHL Draft
What Kind of Prospect Can Penguins Get With No. 11 Pick?
Predicting what the Pittsburgh Penguins can expect from the prospect they claim with the 11th overall pick next month is almost impossible, if only because no one has hit on a foolproof formula for projecting how teenaged players will develop.
That’s why even some can’t-miss guys who are atop their prospects class actually do, well, miss. Winger Nail Yakupov, who went to Edmonton with the first pick in the 2012 draft at Consol Energy Center, is evidence of that.
Still, history suggests that Kyle Dubas, the Penguins’ president of hockey operations and GM, and his staff likely will end up with someone who will make it into their lineup at some point, since players taken in the 11th slot during the past decade have consistently reached the NHL.
What follows is a look at the prospects who went 11th in the drafts from 2015 to 2022, how they fared in 2024-25 and the role they likely can fill at this level, if they haven’t done so already.
(Because most young players need at least a couple seasons of junior, college and/or pro hockey to become NHL-ready, the past two No. 11 picks – defensemen Sam Dickinson, claimed by San Jose in 2023, and Tom Willander, picked by Vancouver a year earlier – are not included.)
2022 – Conor Geekie
Drafted by: Arizona
Position: Left wing/right wing
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 190 pounds
2024-25 statistics: Eight goals, six assists in 52 games w/Tampa Bay
Scouting report: He seems to have some untapped offensive potential, but skating remains a concern.
2021 – Cole Sillinger
Drafted by: Columbus
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 197 pounds
2024-25 statistics: 11 goals, 22 assists in 66 games.
Scouting report: Sillinger plays a solid two-way game, and should become more of an offensive force as his career progresses.
2020 – Yaroslav Askarov
Drafted by: Nashville
Position: Goal
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 176 pounds
2024-25 statistics: 4-6-3, 3.10 goals-against average, .896 save percentage in 13 games with San Jose
Scouting report: Widely projected in his draft year to be a franchise-caliber goalie, Askarov is still trying to live up to those lofty expectations.
2019 – Victor Soderstrom
Drafted by: Arizona
Position: Defense
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 184 pounds
2024-25 statistics: Nine goals, 28 assists in 49 games with Brynas IF Gravel in Sweden
Scouting report: Chicago acquired his rights in March after Soderstrom’s good two-way potential failed to translate to productivity with Arizona/Utah.
2018 – Oliver Wahlstrom
Drafted by: New York Islanders
Position: Right wing/left wing
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 pounds
2024-25 statistics: Three goals, three assists in 43 games with the Islanders and Boston
Scouting report: He has an impressive shot at times, but Wahlstrom’s offensive output has dropped since he scored a career-high 13 goals in 2021-22.
2017 – Gabriel Vilardi
Drafted by: Los Angeles
Position: Right wing
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 201 pounds
2024-25 statistics: 27 goals, 34 assists in 71 games with Winnipeg
Scouting report: He’s versatile enough to play all three forward positions and put together a career season with the Jets, despite being a so-so skater and often-lackluster defensive work.
2016 – Michael McLeod
Drafted by: New Jersey
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 189 pounds
2024-25 statistics: Three goals, three assists in 16 games with Barys Astana in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Scouting report: McLeod’s future – on and off the ice – is very much in doubt because he is one of the five defendants in the sexual assault trial involving members of Canada’s 2018 world juniors squad.
2015 – Lawson Crouse
Drafted by: Florida
Position: Left wing
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 214 pounds
2024-25 statistics: 12 goals, six assists in 81 games with Utah.
Scouting report: He has yet to live up to his power forward potential and will be looking to bounce back in 2025-26 after failing to score at least 20 goals for the first time in four seasons.
