After finishing the 2024-25 season with a 34-36-12 record, the Pittsburgh Penguins will be selecting 11th at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. With this, the Penguins will have a golden opportunity to add a very good prospect to their system.
It appears that they have two notable prospects on their radar, with the draft being three weeks away. According to Elite Prospects' Cam Robinson, the Penguins took prospects Roger McQueen and Radim Mrtka out to dinner during the week.
McQueen, 18, missed much of this season due to injury but was excellent when healthy. In 17 games this season with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, the 6-foot-5 center recorded 10 goals, 20 points, 40 penalty minutes, and a plus-8 rating. This was after he had 21 goals and 51 points in 53 games with the Wheat Kings in 2023-24.
McQueen is viewed as one of the top prospects in this year's draft class, and it is easy to understand why. He has the potential to blossom into a very impacful top-six center at the NHL level, as he has been praised for his great mix of offensive skill, solid defensive play, and physicality. Thus, he would be a significant pickup for the Penguins if they selected him.
Mrtka, 17, is another exciting prospect heading into the draft. The 6-foot-6 defenseman played in 43 games this season with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the WHL, where he recorded three goals, 35 points, and a plus-10 rating. The right-shot blueliner also played in 10 games for HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga, posting one assist.
Mrtka is one of the top defensemen in this year's draft class, and there is real expectation that he will be a very good NHL defenseman in the future. The Penguins certainly need to boost their blueline, so he would be a great pick for them, too.
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