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William Horcoff and Bill Zonnon, Pittsburgh Penguins (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

2 Penguins’ 2025 Draft Picks to Keep an Eye On

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Sylvie McCarthy | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 12:10 PM ET

With July coming to a close and preseason on the horizon, the Pittsburgh Penguins have not had the flashy offseason most people thought they would. There is no doubt that president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas is playing the long game. It might be a couple more years until the Penguins return to the playoffs, but Dubas is trying to build a good core that he can keep together for the foreseeable future. Bill Zonnon and Ben Kindel could be a part of that core.

Who Will Make Up Pittsburgh’s Future Core?

The Penguins drafted Kindel at number 11 in the first round of this year’s draft. On July 9, they signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. He is an elite scorer with good vision and good instincts. He had a 60-point rookie season in 2023-24 for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Last season, he finished seventh in the WHL in overall scoring. He is a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with his skating ability and strong play at even strength. Even though he is not the fastest skater, he is good at getting the puck through traffic. He has the potential to turn into a strong middle-six winger, which is a key piece to Pittsburgh’s future.

The Penguins selected Zonnon with the 22nd pick in the draft this year and are hoping to see big things from him. He looked like he fit right in at development camp earlier this month. At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, he brings size and physicality, which are two things Pittsburgh could definitely use. Last season, he had 28 goals and 83 points in 64 games with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

At 18 years old, Zonnon already plays a pretty complete game. He’s an aggressive forechecker who is solid in all three zones and good at making quick decisions. He is also good at finishing chances, and he plays well off the puck. He will more than likely play one more year in the QMJHL, but he has a lot of what the Penguins are looking for. He could definitely turn into a top-six forward, but only time will tell.

Dubas Is Committed to Penguins’ Future

Dubas has always been clear that he is more interested in the Penguins’ future rather than the here and now. His team did not make a ton of big moves this summer, and part of that may be because most teams locked up their big talent, so no one really hit the trade market.

Dubas may also be planning something big for the trade deadline next March, as the Penguins have a lot of tradeable assets, including Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson. He knows that they have pieces a lot of teams could use. It’s looking more and more like his goal is to acquire some good talent and keep them in Pittsburgh with the hopes of attracting other good players to the Steel City.

Dubas wants to build the next great core and then keep them together, much like the Florida Panthers have done. Pittsburgh is looking for that next group of special players. Even though Kindel and Zonnon may not have been the most exciting picks, they could be part of the future of the franchise. There is also a promising group of young prospects coming up the ranks, so the Penguins will continue to be one of the most interesting teams to watch as they transition from the old guard to the new guard.