With the regular season coming to a close in a few weeks, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves on the outside looking in for the second season in a row for a playoff spot. While they are still trying to fight their way back into a playoff spot, there is a slim chance that happens at this point (1.5% chance). Their remaining strength of schedule (SOS) over the last 12 games of the regular season is the 12th-hardest in the league (.572).
The Penguins’ biggest caveat going into the draft this year will be how the ping-pong balls bounce for them in the lottery. Currently, they slot in at the ninth pick in the draft, with a 64.4% chance of picking there and a 23.5% chance of picking tenth. But, if they find themselves picking outside the top ten, they will find their pick being sent to the San Jose Sharks as part of the Erik Karlsson trade last off-season. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to who general manager Kyle Dubas and the organization could be targeting in the first round of the 2024 Draft (if they retain their pick).
Zeev Buium, Defenseman – University of Denver (NCAA)
Zeev Buium has developed his game defensively to the point that it has been viewed as one of the draft class’ strongest. After a strong showing with the United States World Junior Championship team that ended in a gold medal, he has continued to showcase his strong defensive game with the University of Denver. But where he has been able to develop his game to a higher level has been in the offensive game. He finds himself in the top 15 in scoring across the entire division-one ranks as a freshman this season.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
While he may not be ready to make the jump to the NHL right away, Buium is surely an interesting prospect that the Penguins could look at as a player who can help rebuild the back end of their lineup in the next few years if and when they make their way to the podium in Las Vegas.
Cole Eiserman, Left Wing – USNTDP (USHL)
Once considered a surefire top-two pick in the 2024 Draft, Cole Eiserman has seen his draft stock slip a bit this season, with his overall game being unable to take that “next jump.” But what has not been lost in his draft year has been his lethal shot that has helped him absolutely haunt opposing goaltenders. Through 45 games this season, he has tallied 48 goals.
But what has made his stock fall ahead of the draft is the fact that it seems like his goal-scoring may be the biggest aspect of his game that will make him an impactful NHL player, which is not necessarily a huge problem. Still, the rest of his game will have to develop more and transition to the NHL level for him to become the player many believed he could be. If the Penguins find themselves in a position to take Eiserman and feel that they can help that development happen, along with the fact that he is going to be playing college hockey at Boston University next season, they could end up with the steal of the draft if he is available when they pick.
Konsta Helenius, Center/Right Wing – Jukerit (Liiga)
Dubas made it clear around the trade deadline that he was looking for prospects and players who would be ready to make an impact for the Penguins sooner rather than later when he was mulling over trading forward Jake Guentzel. With that being said, picking Konsta Helenius with their first-round pick may be seen as an outside-the-box pick due to the fact he may not be ready to jump into North American professional hockey right away.
That said, Helenius’ upside could entice the Penguins to take him, as he is currently ranked as the number one overall European skater in the NHL Central Scouting rankings. The offensive game that he possesses has been on display this season and he uses his strong hockey IQ to help him make plays offensively. As a younger player playing in a “grown man’s” league, he has stuck out in a big way this season and would help bring some much-welcomed offensive play to the Penguins lineup whenever he does make the jump to the North American game.
What may not be talked about enough, given his strong offensive output this season, is how well he plays defensively. While not the biggest of players, he is still able to use his body to his advantage, along with his aforementioned hockey IQ, to make strong defensive plays.
Zayne Parekh, Defenseman – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
When watching Zayne Parekh play, there are many comparisons and similarities to Karlsson. Parekh is one of, if not the smoothest offensive defenseman in the 2024 Draft and has had a historic season from the backend of the ice this season. While the offensive game stands out the most, he has also developed his game defensively as well.
Related: Catching Up with Saginaw Spirit Defenseman Zayne Parekh
With the defensive duo of Karlsson and Kris Letang both getting towards the back end of their careers, adding a player like Parekh could interest Dubas. He could end up being a cross between the two current Penguins while also adding a bit more defensively than they both do. Parekh’s development and time frame would also likely line up well for a transition to the NHL, as he most likely will end up needing a couple of seasons before making the jump to Pittsburgh.
Plenty of Time For Change
With just over 10 games remaining in the regular season for the Penguins, there is obviously plenty of time for both their draft plans and their draft position to either move up or down. But with one of the league’s thinnest farm systems, even after adding a couple of prospects in the Guentzel trade, the Penguins have a chance to add a player who could easily find themselves at the top of the list of the organization’s best prospects at this stage of the season.
*All stats and odds are as of March 25, 2024
