LAS VEGAS -- The weakest area of the Penguins' prospect pool entering the draft here in Las Vegas was undoubtedly right-handed defensemen.
Outside of Jack St. Ivany -- who is past the point of being a true "prospect" -- the Penguins didn't have a single right-handed defense prospect. Not in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, not in Wheeling, not in junior, college or Europe. Zero. Not one.
So when Kyle Dubas spoke before Day 1 of the draft, I asked if he intended to address any positional needs with the Penguins' picks.
"With where we're at right now, it has to be the best players available," Dubas said. "With the two (second-round) picks so close together, we've had a lot of talk about that. But I mean, we just need to get the two best players we can there and then continue to try to help ourselves stock that pipeline. We'll see what we end up with 24 hours from now."
The Penguins didn't have a first-round pick, but had six selections on Day 2 of the draft in Rounds 2-7. And 24 hours after Dubas spoke ... the Penguins had stocked their prospect pool with not one, not two, not three but four right-handed defense prospects, along with a pair of forwards to round out the class.
Did the strategy change, and the Penguins decided to target those right-handed defensemen?
"We talk about what we have, and what we don't have, and what we would like to add," Penguins director of amateur scouting Nick Pryor said. "I think with where we're at right now, we want to add to every position in our prospect pool. It's more of the way our board fell, and it just so happened that right-shot D, we were able to add to that."
Here's a look at the Penguins' 2024 draft class, with Pryor's take on each guy and links to my stories, complete with more background and video.
SECOND ROUND, No. 44
Harrison Brunicke
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Age: 18
Size: 6-3, 196
Team: Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Pryor's take: "He moves well, he's got a puck game. He's physical as well. He's got a lot of attributes that made him really attractive to us. Anytime you can find a defenseman that moves like that at that size and can move the puck as well, is really attractive."
Story: Penguins dip into WHL with Howe, Brunicke picks
SECOND ROUND, No. 46
Tanner Howe
Position: Center/wing
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
Size: 5-10, 184
Team: Regina Pats (WHL)
Pryor's take: "He's undersized in stature, but he's a strong kid for being undersized. He's a high-compete, high-motor player that has skill and offense to his game as well. We were really excited to get Tanner and feel really good about the spot we got him in."
Story: Penguins dip into WHL with Howe, Brunicke picks; Howe plays 'rat-style hockey'
FOURTH ROUND, No. 111
Chase Pietila
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Age: 20
Size: 6-3, 188
Team: Michigan Tech (NCAA)
Pryor's take: "He's got size, he's got physicality, he defends really well. He can move the puck on the breakout and in transition. But with Chase, it was nice to see the year that he had. He made progress from his time in the USHL and then developed into a really good defenseman from Michigan Tech this year. I just really like the competitiveness that he brings and the size and the ability to move the puck.”
Story: Pietila, undrafted twice, had big year in college
SIXTH ROUND, No. 175
Joona Vaisanen
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Age: 19
Size: 6-1, 175
Team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Pryor's take: "He's amooth-skating defenseman who can move the puck really well on the breakout, in transition, in the offensive zone, on the power play. He's just a really good skater. He's a good puck-mover, and he defends really well. He uses his feet, his stick to defend and close plays. We were excited to get him in the slot that we got him in."
Story: Vaisanen a 'smooth-skating defenseman'
SEVENTH ROUND, No. 207
Mac Swanson
Position: Center/wing
Shoots: Left
Age: 18
Size: 5-8, 167
Team: Fargo Force (USHL)
Pryor's take: "He's just a really exciting hockey player to watch. He's small, but he's competitive. He's highly, highly skilled and highly intelligent. We were excited to get him, especially where we got him."
Story: Cullen likes Swanson pick
SEVENTH ROUND, No. 223
Finn Harding
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Age: 19
Size: 6-1, 201
Team: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Pryor's take: "He's a smart, intelligent defender. He's a guy who takes pride in his own end. He's a high-character kid, our due diligence was very, very positive on him. We felt good about the progress that he made, and he takes pride in his defensive play. He can move the puck as well. We felt good about him."
Story: Harding a 'smart, intelligent defender'
