Penguins NHL Mock Draft 2025: Predicting Pittsburgh’s picks and potential steals

It's an important week for the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins as a franchise.

In four days, the 2025 NHL draft officially begins at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The Penguins are in the midst of a retool, attempting to get younger and build out their roster, so Friday and Saturday will be crucial days in order to expedite that process.

General manager Kyle Dubas has his hands full, but another good draft in 2025 could go a long way towards bringing Pittsburgh back into contention sooner rather than later.

Before we dive into the mock draft, we'll assume that the New York Rangers give up their 2026 first-round pick instead of this year's 12th overall pick, with the assumption that they'll have a better 2025-26 season. Now let's get into it.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2025 NHL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 11: Jackson Smith, D, Tri-City

The Penguins' defense corps has been one of the worst in hockey over the last few years, particularly the left side. This makes Jackson Smith, a left-shot defenseman from the Tri-City Americans, a perfect fit.

Smith stands at 6'3, and 195 pounds and racked up 54 points (11 goals, 43 assists) in 68 games in the OHL this season. He's an elite skater, with tremendous mobility and a knack for getting pucks through bodies to generate offense from the blue line.

Round 2, Pick 59: Ben Kevan, C, Des Moines

After grabbing a defenseman in the first round, Pittsburgh adds up front with right-shot centerman Ben Kevan from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL.

Kevan is 6'1 and 173 pounds and put up 43 points (13 goals, 30 assists) in 51 games this past season. He's a dynamic offensive player who has the makings of a point producer in the big leagues. He will just need to fill out and add some size.

Round 3, Pick 73: Kristian Epperson, LW, Saginaw

With their third-round pick, the Penguins add another forward in left-winger Kristian Epperson from the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.

The 6'0, 183-pound forward was very productive in 2024-25, piling up 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in just 58 games. Epperson is a physical force with plenty of skill, a combination to potentially become a power forward in the NHL.

Round 3, Pick 84: Sean Barnhill, RD, Dubuque

With the second of their three third-round picks, Pittsburgh adds 6'5, 205-pound right-shot defenseman Sean Barnhill. He spent last season playing for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL.

Round 3, Pick 85: L.J. Mooney, RW, USNDT

And with their third and final third-rounder, they will go with skilled forward L.J. Mooney from the US National Development Team. The 5'7, 162-pound winger put up 28 points (five goals, 23 assists) in 26 games last season.

Round 4, Pick 105: Lev Katzin, C, Guelph

The Penguins will add some center depth with Lev Katzin of the Guelph Storm in Round 4. The 5'8, 176-pound forward produced 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 44 games in 2024-25.

Round 5, Pick 130: Reese Hamilton, LD, Regina

Round 5, Pick 139: Jacob Kvasincka, C, USNDT

Round 6, Pick 169: Jacob Cloutier, RW, Saginaw

Round 7, Pick 201: Alexis Mathieu, LD, Baie-Comeau

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Edited by Jackson Weber