At the Thanksgiving break, the Pittsburgh Penguins have the 28th-worst record in the NHL. Even though there are 58 games to play, MoneyPuck predicts the club has better odds of winning the Draft Lottery (8.5%) than qualifying for the playoffs (3.4%).
Even though it is too early to cut their losses and pack up their bags, it is not too early to look at some of the top prospects in the 2025 Draft.
Considering the Penguins are currently on pace to draft fifth overall, here’s one name fans should get familiar with since he could become the team’s top choice: defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
One area of concern for Pittsburgh this season has been defense and goaltending. Despite the need for a solid puck-stopper, the Penguins will be all right in that department, with Joel Blomqivist, Filip Larsson, and Sergei Murashov waiting in the minors.
Meanwhile, the team has plenty of young, talented forwards adjusting to the grind of pro hockey, which means an area they could draft heavily in is defensemen.
According to TSN analyst Craig Button, Schaefer (OHL) and Logan Hensler (NCAA) are the top two defensemen slated to go in the top ten in the upcoming draft.
Schaefer’s Elite Prospects profile highlights that he’s a top-five draft-eligible prospect, with 11 out of 13 scouting reports ranking him five or higher.
As the captain of Team Canada at the recent Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he had six points in five games. That momentum carried over into the OHL regular season with the Erie Otters, where he has 18 points in 14 games. Additionally, Schaefer is plus-16, a troubling statistic in Pittsburgh these days.
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If the Penguins miss out on Schaefer, which could result from an attempt to push for the playoffs instead of rebuilding, other defensemen are projected to be first-round picks, including Hensler, who could be a top-ten draftee.
In 11 games at the University of Wisconsin, the 18-year-old has four assists.
No matter where the Penguins end up drafting, according to Button’s list of prospects, seven eligible defensemen are slated as first-round prospects, giving the organization plenty of options to consider to help the team secure an area of concern in the coming years.
