LOS ANGELES – The 2025 NHL Draft has finally completed. Didn’t that feel like an eternity? Between the two days, teams spent nine hours making their selections remotely in the NHL’s first – and hopefully last – decentralized draft.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres worked out a trade early in Saturday’s second day of the 2025 NHL Draft, with the Sabres sending defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick to the Penguins in exchange for defensemen Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau.
After an offseason that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins add and subtract from their prospect pool, it seems like general manager Kyle Dubas has done a solid job of trying to restock a system that was seen as one of the worst in the NHL last season.
NHL head coaches have to hire good assistants. They have to set an overarching philosophy, juggle lineup configurations, and do the kind of “man management” that is impossible to track statistically.
Penguins hope to hit on Belliveau as his development continues into the new season. A first professional season for former fifth round pick Isaac Belliveau sees him spend most of his time in Wheeling but the opportunity for a promotion in 2024-25 exists and the Penguins are counting on him to take the next step in his development.
WHEELING, W.Va. -- The Penguins have made a lot of headway in rebuilding their shallow prospect pool in recent years, especially at forward and goaltender.