What the Penguins Really Got From the 2023 NHL Draft (+)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There’s not a lot of video on a few of the Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks. Not all of the names were listed in the various draft guides, and the odds are you’ll only see one or two of the players in the NHL, but the Penguins dug deep into the scouting reports to complete the 2023 NHL Draft.

After their high-profile pick of Brayden Yager, who was part of the crop of talented and well-rounded WHL centers (including Connor Bedard and Nate Danielson) with the 14th overall pick, the Penguins veered off the draft map and around the globe for their next couple of picks.

They selected good skating defenseman Emil Pienimiemi in the third round and Russian forward Mikhail Ilyin in the fifth round. Ilyin does not appear in most draft guides, and few YouTube highlights exist.

Ilyin played 21 games in the KHL and 28 in the MHL last season. He had two assists in the KHL and 26 points in the MHN.

The Penguins took Ottawa 67s forward Cooper Foster with their sixth-round pick and two more Finnish players in the seventh round, forward Emil Jarventie and big defenseman Kalle Kangas. Get the full compilations of the Penguins’ draft picks here.

What Did the Penguins Get?