Penguins make 13 selections in NHL draft
Pittsburgh also picks up Clifton from Buffalo via trade
Associated Press
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas had a busy weekend at the NHL draft.
The Penguins made 13 selections, including three in the first round, and acquired defenseman Connor Clifton from Buffalo via a trade.
Ben Kindel (11th overall), Bill Zonnon (22nd overall) and Will Horcoff (24th overall) were the team’s first round selections.
All three are forwards.
Pittsburgh traded the 12th pick to Philadelphia to get the 22nd and 31st picks and flipped the 31st and 59th picks to Los Angeles to get the 24th pick.
Kindel was a bit of a surprise selection, because many draft prognosticators had him going later in the first round.
He’s a teammate of fellow Penguins prospect Tanner Howe on the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.
Kindel scored 35 goals and had 99 points in 65 games this season.
Zonnon played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey league for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies where he registered 28 goals and 83 points. He was traded to Blainville-Boisbriand after the season.
Horcoff spent time with the United States National Development Team and in college at Michigan. He’s the son of former NHL forward Shawn Horcoff.
On Saturday, the Penguins traded Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau for Clifton and the 39th pick.
They selected defenseman Peyton Kettles of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos with the 39th pick.
Clifton, 30, is a right handed defenseman that’s been in the NHL for seven seasons. He’s signed through next season at $3.33 million. Prior to Buffalo, he played for the Boston Bruins.
Charlie Trethewey (3rd round, 73rd overall), Gabriel D’Aigle (3rd round, 84th overall), Brady Peddle (3rd round, 91st overall), Travis Hayes (4th round, 105th overall), Ryan Miller (5th round, 130th overall), Quinn Beauchesne (5th round, 148th overall), Jordan Charron (5th round, 154th overall), Carter Sanderson (6th round, 169th overall) and Kale Dach (7th round, 201st overall) were the other selections by the Penguins.
The Penguins will hold an introductory press conference with the 2025 draft class Monday at noon at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.