Hi folks. Sorry to be late on reporting the Penguins’ final four picks of the ’24 Entry Draft, which included some intriguing ones. But yesterday was a bea-u-ti-ful day in the ‘Burgh and…well…the pool beckoned.
As the old saying goes, better late than never.
Actually, the draft may very well prove to be the lone bright spot of an otherwise lackluster summer, shinny-wise, based on our cap constraints and Kyle Dubas’ assertions that we won’t be signing any free agents to long-term deals.
Not being a draft guru, I’ll just be providing thumbnail sketches of our picks. Here goes.
In the fourth round, the Pens selected Chase Pietila, a 20-year-old right-shot defenseman out of Michigan Tech by way of Youngstown of the USHL. Listed at 6’3” and 186 pounds by Hockeydb, Pietila’s a throwback of sorts…an honest-to-goodness physical defenseman who piles up penalty minutes (125 for the Phantoms in ’22-23) and drops the gloves.
Don’t have to tell you, qualities that are in short supply around these parts.
Being a 111th overall pick, it’s anything but a given Pietila will one day emerge as a bona fide NHLer. However, it’s encouraging to me that Dubas recognizes the need for physicality. (See second-round pick Tanner Howe.)
With their sixth-round pick, the Pens selected 19-year-old Finnish defenseman Joona Vaisanen. Another right-handed shot, Vaisanen played under new Baby Pens coach Kirk MacDonald for Dubuque of the USHL this past season.
An “all-arounder” who seems to do everything well, the 6’0” 174-pounder was rated as a sleeper by draft guru Chris Peters, who had Vaisanen slotted much higher at 99th overall.
Perhaps our most tantalizing pick of the draft came with our first selection in the seventh round. With the 207th overall pick, the Pens chose Mac Swanson (pictured), a 5’7” 157-pound water bug forward from the Fargo Force of the USHL. He’s reputed to possess major-league skill in a mighty-mite frame.
Patrick Bacon of TopDownHockey had him rated 21st overall…yes…a first-round pick! Maybe we snagged the next Cole Caufield or Alex DeBrincat…
With our final pick, the 223rd overall, we selected yet another right-shot defenseman, Finn Harding. Skating for Mississauga of the OHL, the 19-year-old Toronto native reportedly improved by leaps and bounds this season, emerging as a solid all-around defender with decent puck skills and size (6’1″ 198).
Hey, and just a reminder…good things can come in later rounds. Jake Guentzel was taken 77th overall. “Superstar” Max Talbot went 234th. And the mad Viking, Patric Hornqvist, was selected dead last (230th) in the ’05 draft.
Drafting a Pryor-ity
I find it fascinating that Nick Pryor, a holdover from the Ron Hextall era, continues to serve as our director of amateur scouting. Especially since his dad, former assistant GM Chris Pryor, was a victim of the purge as well.
Speaks highly of his abilities, no?
His former boss (Hextall) had this to say.
“He’s got a terrific hockey mind, and he’s going to really add a lot to the organization. You can just look at the history of some of the picks that (the Flyers) made with his influence. I’ve been around him for four or five years working closely with him. And he’s going to be a really, really important add to the organization.”
Indeed, Pryor was an integral part of the Flyers’ scouting staff when Hextall was in Philly. Say what you will about our bitter in-state rivals, but they drafted a lot of solid-to-decent hockey players during his tenure.
With our organizational focus shifting toward the future, hopefully, he’ll do the same for our Pens.
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The Other Rick
I feel like I'm watching the Pirates approach - there taking players that they think
they can resurrect, and that works about 0% of the time. I would much rather
them pay a little more for a proven player and fill the open roster spots with
prospects / youth.
I read somewhere that quoted Dubas as saying he like quantity over quality. To me
that usually means there not good at evaluating talent and they hope by bringing
in quantity a couple of them will pan out. Not a high degree for success.
100% agreed Mike, the Penguins are acting like they want to make the Pirates look good. There several players out there that could have helped the team but no Dubas grabbed a bunch of retreads for league minimum so he can stock WBS with veterans rather than try and develop kids.
Also, to your point about not being able to evaluate talent, over the last 3 drafts 2 different GMs left talent on the boards reaching for low probability picks.
Worse they founds a way to get even softer.
My expectations have dipped even lower for the coming season.
Hey Rick,
The only 2 picks in the 2024 Draft that look like they have potential are Howe and Pietila. Swanson is the second coming of Mitch Lamoureaux.
Lamoureaux - Hgt: 5'5", 183lbs, Drafted in the 8th Rnd Pick (154 AO),
1980-81 – GP: 63, G: 50, A: 69, Pts: 119
1981-82 – GP: 66, G: 43, A: 78, Pts: 121
Swanson- Hgt: 5'7", 165lbs, Drafted in the 7th Rnd Pick (207 OA)
2022-23 – GP: 57, G: 12, A: 43, Pts: 55
2023-24 – GP: 55, G: 26, A: 51, Pts: 77
Actually, Swanson is 2" taller but 18lbs lighter, he was drafted 53 people later than Lamoureaux, scored 55 less G and 108 less Points, so Swanson may not even be as good as (the totally forgettable) Lamoureaux.
The team Swanson played on was one of the tallest and heaviest teams in the USHL last season as well as the oldest. When you are talking about a league were the players are between 17 and 20, these 3 factors are huge. It then becomes little surprise that so many smaller player excel in the Jrs. but fail at the NHL level. Players at the NHL level represent the elite players from the Jr levels who are now not only heavier than 183 lbs, taller than 5'-7" but far more experienced and a who lot less likely to fall for the moves of an undersized featherweight while pressing their larger frames on the tiny opponents they face.
Maybe Swanson can make it at the NHL level, but the probabilities are not that good, no matter how good he played in the Jrs, particularly if he tries to ply his trade in Pgh while Sullivan mans the helm, where his teammates will be smaller all the way around compared to their opponents and probably far, far older - where their advanced age will not be an asset but a serious limitation.
Rick
Just saw where we signed former Bruin Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
WTH are the Pen's thinking??? This has to be a Sullivan influenced
move. We continue to regress.
Hey Mike,
And the beat goes on - they also signed Anthony Beauvillier, this season is beginning to take on the appearance of 1983-84.
Rick & The Other Rick
Doesn't look promising. Dubas didn't get anyone that would improve this team going
into next year. Unbelievably frustrating.
Also, he's signing all of these AHL players, why not Joshua??
Agreed Mike,
Worse, other teams are poaching the best and more physical NHL players. Over the past 4 seasons the team has gone from a 0.688 Pnts% to 0.628 to 0.555 to 0.537 (0.555 is roughly 0.500 in this 3 point game era). At the rate this team is being disassembled, at this point, I could easily see the team drop below 0.500 in the coming season, barring a drastic move by Dubas.