On the surface, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in trouble. They have one of the NHL's eminent faces in Sidney Crosby, but first round exits in the last three full NHL seasons and a qualifying round exit in 2020 has the cupboard in Wilkes-Barre looking awfully bare.
The Penguins have a notoriously shallow prospect pool, so there's very little help on the way. This year's draft is one of the most important in recent franchise memory, and Brian Burke doesn't have a ton of capital to cash in to make it count.
Indeed, Pittsburgh was the fourth-oldest team in hockey last season, with its roster averaging 29.44 years old. Only the Islanders, Lightning, and Capitals were older on average last season. As Crosby continues in the twilight years of his storied career, the Penguins have to turn their eyes to the future and figure out what life without him is going to look like. That has to start in earnest this year.
Here's a look at the Penguins' picks in the 2022 NHL Draft:
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Penguins draft picks 2022: When does Pittsburgh pick?
The Penguins will draft 21st in the NHL Draft this season, and they own just five picks in this year's draft after trading for Rickard Rakell in March and Jeff Carter in April 2021.
- Round 1, No. 21: Owen Pickering, D, Swift Current Broncos, (WHL)
- Round 4, No. 118: Sergey Murashov, G, Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)
- Round 5, No. 150: Zam Plante, C, Hermantown (USHS-MN)
- Round 6, No. 167: Nolan Collins, D, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
- Round 5, No. 150:Round 6, No. 182: Luke Devlin, C, St. Andrews College (HS-ON)
Penguins 2022 NHL Draft order
After their first-round pick at No. 21 overall, the Penguins are going to have to do some maneuvering if they want to pick again before the fourth round. They traded away their second and third-round picks to acquire Rackell and Carter, meaning that once again their prospect pool will likely rank among the lowest in hockey next year.
In total, the Penguins own five picks heading into draft day. Here is where and when they'll pick in this year's draft.
| Round | Pick (Overall) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 21 |
| 4 | 118 |
| 5 | 150 |
| 6 | 182 |
| 7 | 214 |
Penguins NHL Draft biggest need
It shouldn't be too controversial to say this is a "take your pick" section, as the Penguins could use young depth anywhere. That's freeing, in a way, as it will let them take the best option available at No. 21. And that option will likely be a center. Having Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the fold has allowed Pittsburgh to more or less avoid drafting a center in the high rounds since 2012 when they took Teddy Blueger in the second round. But after Crosby's scary concussion in last year's postseason and Malkin hitting free agency, it's time for the Penguins to revisit the position.
While the Penguins also have a dearth of upcoming talent defensively, they're a team that needs an influx of speed on the front lines.
Penguins first-round mock draft 2022
Here are the latest predictions for how the Penguins will utilize their pick in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Jiri Kulich | C | HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Extraliga) |
