The 2019 NHL Draft will be an important one for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
For the first time since 2014, the Pittsburgh Penguins enter the NHL draft with a first-round selection. As of Thursday, June 20, Pittsburgh enters the 2019 NHL Draft with six total draft picks. A few weeks back, I wrote about how Tristan Jarry should become a trade chip in order to acquire another draft pick or two.
The Penguins should also be considering trading their first-round pick in order to improve immediately and maximize the Crosby and Malkin era.
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While I am not a prospect guru, we are going to rely on those who are. Here is a look at who the Penguins may select with the 21st overall selection, why each player may fit, and some insight towards the Penguins draft tendencies.
Cam York
York is a 5’11”, smooth-skating defenseman based out of Anaheim, California. Weighing in at 172 pounds, York is a left-handed shooting and offensively minded blue-liner. This past season, York produced 65 points in 63 games for the United States under 18 team.
York plans to attend the University of Michigan, and we know how well (and many) college players the Penguins have produced and/or acquired.
In terms of draft class rankings, here is where York sits
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie: 18th
- The Athletic’s Corey Pronman: 16th
- NHL Central Scouting: 12th
York’s confidence and vision stand out in these highlights.
A player with York’s skill set fits the identity of the Penguins. The potential of a Calen Addison, Marcus Pettersson, and York long-term defense core offers plenty of upside. By selecting him, Pittsburgh would have three young defenders, all with adequate mobility and offensive skill sets in their system.
Pronman described two key elements of York’s game, by saying his “poise with the puck is fantastic” and that York “is never pressured into decisions and exhibits great vision.” Of these five prospects, York is my favorite and I would be thrilled if the Penguins are able to take him at 21st overall.
Jakob Pelletier
Pelletier is a 5’9” left winger, who is from Quebec. The 161-pound forward posted 89 points in 65 games for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. Pelletier, a left-handed shooter, increased his goal total from 23 in his rookie season, to 39 last season.
He has been over a point-per-game player in both of his seasons in Moncton. With the exception of Jake Guentzel, the Penguins are in need of goal-scoring ability on the left wing. Pelletier could provide a unique offensive spark.
In terms of draft class rankings, here is where Pelletier sits
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie: 31st
- The Athletic’s Corey Pronman: 40th
- NHL Central Scouting: 27th
Here is a look at some of Pelletier’s highlights
With the exception of Jake Guentzel, the Penguins are in need of goal-scoring ability on the left wing. If Pittsburgh were to select him, Pelletier could provide exactly that. Ideally, Pelletier would crack the NHL level Penguins and produce while still on his entry-level contract.
As you will see below, Prashanth Iyer’s data and projections suggest that both York and Pelletier will become productive NHL players.
Ryan Suzuki
Suzuki is a 6’0” playmaking center iceman. Suzuki is a great skater, has excellent vision, and is well- known for his playmaking ability. Elite Prospects deemed Suzuki as “one of the smartest OHL prospects we have seen in years.”
He posted 25 goals and 50 assists in 65 games with the OHL’s Barrie Colts last season. Some may find Suzuki’s production to be underwhelming relative to his peers, but Barrie was not a very good team last season. Overall, his 50 helpers ranked 12th amongst all OHL skaters.
Bob McKenzie mentioned that Suzuki’s draft stock has fallen since mid-season due to scouts feeling that Suzuki plays too much of a “perimeter game” offensively. However, some scouts felt that Suzuki got to the slot with greater frequency as the season came to an end, and that is a teachable area of a prospects game.
In terms of draft class rankings, here is where Suzuki sits
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie: 20th
- The Athletic’s Corey Pronman: 15th
- NHL Central Scouting: 18th
Suzuki offensive skill set and highlights are on full-display below.
Sooner or later, the Penguins are going to need to take a center with some high-end offensive talent to learn from and eventually replace Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With Suzuki’s skating ability and skill set, he has the potential to be that guy down the line.
Ville Heinola
Heinola does not appear to be a flashy prospect. Rather, his hockey sense and defensive positioning have helped the Finland native climb the draft rankings over the last year. Heionla has wonderful vision and is pretty effective with clean zone entries and exits. The 5’11, 181-pound Heinola is a calming influence with the puck, but his stride and skating ability are a concern to many evaluators. Heionla posted 14 points in 34 contests last season with Luuko of Finland’s Likka league.
In terms of draft class rankings, here is where Heinola sits
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie: 23rd
- The Athletic’s Corey Pronman: 28th
- NHL Central Scouting: 4th amongst European skaters
Here is a look at some of Heinola’s highlights from last season
It’s interesting to note that the Penguins have brought in their fair share of Finnish hockey players over the last few years. The failed Janne Pesonen experiment was memorable. Back in 2012, they selected Finnish native Olli Maatta with the 22nd overall pick.
Juuso Riikola is from Finland, too. Over the last month, Pittsburgh also added a couple of Finnish prospects to their system via free agency. By selecting Heionola, Pittsburgh would add a quality two-way defensemen to their system.
Raphael Lavoie
Lavoie is a towering 6’4” right winger that has spent the last couple of seasons playing for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Lavoie has scored 30 plus goals in back to back seasons and produced 73 points in 62 games this past season. Lavoie’s playmaking ability is adequate and he skates well for a power forward. Consistency and decision-making appear to be flaws in Lavoie’s game, but the pure tools are there.
In terms of draft class rankings, here is where Lavoie sits
- TSN’s Bob McKenzie: 19th
- The Athletic’s Corey Pronman: 21st
- NHL Central Scouting: 20th
If the Penguins do end up eventually trading Phil Kessel, Lavoie could be groomed as a potential replacement in a year or two. The Halifax coaches used Lavoie on both the powerplay and penalty kill and has spent a portion of time playing as a center.
That is noteworthy because we know that the Penguins place some value on versatility amongst their forwards. Lavoie will likely need some time to develop. If Lavoie is selected here, Pittsburgh’s current right-wing depth allows them to not rush that development process.
Here is a look what Lavoie’s skillset consists of
As Philadelphia Eagles Quantitative Analyst Namita Nandakumar states in the thread below, her data found that the Penguins have had a tendency to select some of the older players in recent draft classes. Dominik Simon stands out as one of the most recent examples.
The first round begins from Vancouver on Friday night. I expect the Penguins to be active in trade talks. It’ll be interesting to see if they select one of the 5 players I profiled with their first pick, and I’m curious to see if Pittsburgh’s tendency to draft overage prospects continues. Thanks for reading!