Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-Round 2025 Mock Draft

One of the things that the Penguins are missing in their system is a player who has the skill to take over a game in the matter of an instant. McQueen can do just that with his high-energy, offensive skill and body (6-foot-5). The injury that kept him out for the majority of the season could scare teams away, including the Penguins. The upside may outweigh the bad, especially seeing he came back from said injury and tallied 20 points in the 17 regular-season games he played in.

Round 2 – Pick 59

Available players: Carter Amico (D), Conrad Fondrk (C), Peyton Kettles (D), William Moore (C)

The pick: Carter Amico, D, United States National Team Developmental Program (USNTDP)

The Penguins need some help on the defensive side of the puck, as there is not a lot of depth behind players like Owen Pickering, Finn Harding, and Emil Pieniniemi. Enter, Carter Amico, a big-framed 6-foot-5 defenseman. Amico is much like McQueen in the sense that injury derailed his draft-year season. He played the same number of games that McQueen did this season, and showed the flashes that made many view him as a high-end prospect for the 2025 Draft.

He may not light the scoresheet up, as he only tallied five points, but he is a force at both ends of the ice. He uses his body well and does show flashes of having a solid offensive game. Amico’s play is very sound defensively and can also help out in starting the offensive play from his end of the ice. It does not hurt that he is a right-handed shot. Adding a player like Amico would help to continue solidifying the future of the defensive core for the Penguins.

Round 3 – Pick 73

Available players: Sean Barnhill (D), Ethan Czata (C), Filip Ekberg (LW), Atte Joki (C), Mason West (C)

The pick: Mason West, C, Medina High School (Minnesota HS)

If West is available at this point of the third round, it will be a bit of a surprise, but in this mock draft, he is and would be a great pick for the Penguins. He may be more of a long-term prospect as he played high school hockey this season before making the jump to the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Fargo Force once his high school season concluded. He is one of the more interesting and watched prospects in the draft due to being a star two-sport athlete (football and hockey), and he made the decision before the NHL Draft Combine to focus on his hockey future.

West can become a strong two-way player, and with further development in his game as he continues to mature, he could be a steal in the third round for the Penguins. With a head coach like Dan Muse, who is known for helping develop young players, this could be a pick right up the organization’s alley if he is available.

Round 3 – Picks 84 & 85

Available players: Sean Barnhill (D), Kristian Epperson (LW), Matt Grimes (D), Sam Laurila (D), LJ Mooney (RW), Max Psenicka (D), Jacob Rombach (D), Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen (D)

The picks: #84: LJ Mooney, RW, USNTDP
#85: Kristian Epperson, LW, Saginaw Spirit (Ontario Hockey League)

With back-to-back picks toward the back end of the third round, the Penguins go to the winger spots with their two picks in Mooney and Epperson. Mooney plays with great quickness in his game and is best described as a dynamic type of player. He has the hands and skillset to be a highlight waiting to happen, but at this point in his development, he is more of a playmaker than he is a shooting threat. The Pennsylvania-born right winger grew up playing his youth hockey in the Pittsburgh area and this pick would serve as a bit of a homecoming of sorts for him, but he would be more than just a feel good story if the Penguins have the chance to take him with the skills he could bring at the next level.

On the back end of these two picks, Epperson is a re-entry into the draft after going undrafted last year. He made the jump over to the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit and stood out on the Spirit’s top line with fellow draft-eligible center, Michael Misa, and San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov. He plays a bit on the opposite end of the spectrum of Mooney, as he does not play the most dynamic game, but has plenty of skill to make a difference. He has a shot that translates well and uses his stickhandling well to get himself down the ice. Adding two players like Mooney and Epperson would easily add some depth along with the wings of the organization’s farm system, and give them two players who could both make an impact at the NHL level, with Mooney likely being a middle-six player and Epperson being a bottom-six type of player.

Round 4 – Pick 105

Available players: Alex Huang (D), Viktor Klingsell (LW), Aidan Park (C), Evan Passmore (D), Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen (D)

The pick: Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, D, University of Michigan (NCAA)

This is another pick that may be a bit of a “best-case scenario” for the Penguins, as Rhéaume-Mullen could easily be gone at this point, but being able to add him in this mock draft is a big get for the organization. The University of Michigan defenseman has plenty of upside to become a solid second or third pairing defenseman, playing more of a shutdown style of game as of now. He has shown flashes of a growing offensive game and would add some needed depth to the Penguins’ defensive core in their system.

Round 5 – Pick 130

Available players: Quinn Beauchesne (D), Reese Hamilton (D), Jimmy Lombardi (C), Arvid Drott (RW)

The pick: Quinn Beauchesne, D, Guelph Storm (OHL)

It was tempting to take another center here with Lombardi being available in the fifth round, but stocking up on the back end of the ice with a defenseman like Beauchesne, who has offensive upside from his position, would be something hard to pass up on. He may be a bit inconsistent defensively, but adding a player who can produce from the back end, mixed in with being able to develop his defensive game further, would make him a solid pick for the organization in the fifth round.

Round 5 – Pick 139

Available players: Jacob Kvasincka (C), Bruno Osmanis (RW), Peterri Rimpinen (G)

The pick: Jacob Kvasincka, C, USNDTP

Going back to the USNTDP, where Muse has plenty of knowledge from his time with the program, taking Kvasinicka with their second fifth-round pick adds someone down the middle who seems to never give up on the play at each end of the ice. He is a player who works hard and has a high motor, whether he is trying to score a goal or avoid being scored on. He is a solid all-around playmaker in the offensive zone and is very dependable defensively.

Kvasincka may not make a major impact at the NHL level, but at worst, he would help create further depth at the center position for the Penguins’ minor league system at some point.

Round 6 – Pick 169

Available players: Jacob Cloutier (RW), Lev Katzin (C), Owen Martin (C), Peterri Rimpinen (G), Drew Schock (D)

The pick: Lev Katzin, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)

A player who caught the eye of many at Canada’s Under-18 Pre-Tournament Camp, Katzin’s biggest downside to his game is his size. He is not the biggest player on the ice, but he did show plenty of flashes for the Guelph Storm this season after moving over from the USHL (Green Bay Gamblers). There is a chance at the end of the month he will hear his name called earlier than the sixth round, but if the Penguins can add an intriguing prospect at this stage, there is no harm in seeing if he can translate his game at the next level, which will be at Penn State next season.

Round 7 – Pick 201

Available players: Gabriel D’Aigle (G), Tomas Galvas (D), Hugo Hallin (D), Alexis Mathieu (D)

The pick: Gabriel D’Aigle, G, Victoriaville Tigres (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)

With the uncertainty surrounding the goaltender position going into this season and beyond, adding a netminder in the seventh round would certainly not be a bad idea. D’Aigle may never see the NHL level, but would add depth to either the ECHL level (Wheeling Nailers) or the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at some point down the line.

The Draft Is Always Unpredictable

While a few of these picks may be “best-case scenarios” and would happen if players fall in the draft, stranger things have happened, and anything is possible when it comes to the draft. If the Penguins can add at least three players who could impact the NHL lineup down the line, it will be a major step in the right direction for an organization looking to build towards the future. With nine total picks in the draft, there is also a chance that Kyle Dubas makes moves with the assets. Time will only tell what happens for not only the Penguins, but the entire league when the draft takes place at the end of the month.