‘Fun Player to Watch,’: 4 Possible Big Gets for Penguins in Round 2 | PHN+

The Pittsburgh Penguins are still waiting for their first pick of the 2021 NHL Draft and will finally get it at pick No. 58 on Saturday morning. With that number (Kris Letang), a short but dynamic offensive defenseman would be apropos, yes.

Round One of the 2021 NHL Draft had a few surprises, but none made people leap out of their chair in horror, like 2004 when Wayne Gretzky and the Arizona Coyotes selected little-known high schooler Blake Wheeler the fifth overall pick. Fortunately for Wayne and the Wheeler, Twitter GMs and never-ending condemnation were not yet a thing. Gretzky was right, Wheeler was a big-time player, and I feel old for realizing that I was broadcasting live on the floor of that draft.

And I roundly criticized it with everyone else. Oops, sorry, Wayne. My bad.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now, based on conversations and advice from independent scouting services, McKeen’s Hockey and Smaht Scouting, circled three names for the Penguins to consider in Round Two. All three of the original names, including gritty LW Shawn Tschigerl of the Calgary Hitmen (best franchise name in junior hockey?)

We highly recommend purchasing McKeen’s annual draft guide. Download your digital copy here.

Smaht scouting is a free service. Check them out.

Continuing our coverage of the remainder of the NHL Draft, which resumes at 11 a.m. PHN has two more players who could be available and one talent with a first-round grade and a wicked wrister but is dropping because of the surprises selected ahead of him.