The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is rapidly approaching, as it begins on June 27. The retooling Pittsburgh Penguins have the 11th overall pick, so this is an important draft for the Metropolitan Division club.
With the Penguins selecting 11th in this year's draft, they will have some interesting options to consider once they are on the clock. Thus, this will be a big decision for the Penguins.
In his latest mock draft for The Athletic, Scott Wheeler predicted that the Penguins will select defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson with the 11th overall pick.
Aitcheson, 18, is one of the top defensemen in this year's draft class, so he would be an exciting prospect for the Penguins to bring in their system if available, The 6-foot-2 blueliner is coming off an impressive season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, setting new career highs with 26 goals, 33 assists, and 59 points in 64 games. This is after he had eight goals and 39 points in 64 games with Barrie in 2023-24.
Besides taking a step forward with his offense this season, Aitcheson is also well-known for his immense physicality and toughness. This is something that the Penguins could use more of on their blueline, so he would be an exciting addition to their prospect pool if selected.
Aitcheson also makes sense as a potential draft target for the Penguins because the left side of their defense needs improvement. While Aitcheson likely needs to spend a bit more time developing his game before making the jump to the NHL, he has the tools to blossom into a top-four defenseman later down the road.
Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see if the Penguins end up selecting Aitcheson with their first-round pick this year.
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