Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Reviewing the Penguins draft class with Josh Anselmo!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The full Pittsburgh Penguins draft class under Kyle Dubus is officially finalized, and I'm going to give you my thoughts and analysis on all the picks with a special guest coming up right after this. Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello, welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes, and a phone.

Starting point is 00:00:40 me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows Twitter at L.O. Orange for Penguins. And, of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen slash watch of the day. We are free and available on all platforms. This episode is brought to you by eBay Motors, the championship team. It's all about each player becoming a perfect fit. And the same is with your vehicle. So for parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check.

Starting point is 00:01:02 Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBayMoters.com. Let's ride eBay guaranteed fit. Only available to U.S. customers eligible items only exclusions apply. Join me now. Selmo, who does a lot of NH Shell draft prospect work for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Starting point is 00:01:22 It's his first time on the show. I figured he could come on here and give everyone the scoop on all of the draft picks that the Penguins made today. Josh, really appreciate you coming on. No, thank you for having me. It was a fun day for fans of the Penguins and, you know, prospects are my thing. So I'm excited to get going today. Yeah, so let's go back a little bit.

Starting point is 00:01:43 We'll try and travel back to Wednesday. Penguins take Braden Yeager, a pick that, you know, I think definitely split some people in the scouting community. You have a lot of people who like him. You have a lot of people who think there's still a lot of room for him to grow. I kind of fall in the middle. I think he has a top three to five shot in this class. I think he can definitely make it to the penguins.

Starting point is 00:02:05 I'm probably thinking in the next three. years maybe, but I'm just not sure if he's going to stick at center, considering his defensive work, or if he's maybe going to move to a wing. Josh, I know you're really high on him. What did you think of the pick? Yeager is actually an interesting prospect for me because at the start of the year, you know, when I was doing draft cut for last season, you know, following one pickering, somebody told me they're like, keep an eye for next year on Braden Yeager, and they had him penciled in as a top eight pick. And I went out to go watch him and Moose Jaw. and the first couple games I wasn't really taken away.

Starting point is 00:02:39 So I kind of moved him down my order. And then over the season, I kind of got a chance. I ran into him when he was playing Pickering again because I was following the Swift current Broncos last year. And he really changed his game from when I saw at the start. And, you know, I went back. I'm like, okay, you never want to watch a guy once and take your notes from that. So I followed him throughout the year.

Starting point is 00:03:00 And just over the year, I really fell in love with his game. And then it wasn't until I was speaking to a friend who was also in the scouting community. and he said one thing about Brady Eager is you look at him, and he is one guy that you can slot in on anywhere on an NHL lineup. Like he could be your first line center to your, if you want to put him on the wing, your third line right winger. So I looked at that. I saw the shot.

Starting point is 00:03:21 The shot's elite. It's a top class shot. It's right up there with some of the best in the draft. And one thing about him is this puck handling ability. And, you know, you look at a lot of guys in the NHL these days. And the way hockey is moving in this next, you know, I guess the future and how this game's changed. changing is it's a lot of skill guys right and you want to make sure that when you're drafting that

Starting point is 00:03:39 high you take the upside and he's got all of it if you want a guy that can shoot he's once he has the puck in possession he opens up a lot of lanes for his teammates he's a guy that can drive offense uh there's times throughout the year where his game kind of lost consistency and that was one thing i think really what the i saw firsthand because at the start of the year i was like you know is he really like this worthy of a prospect to be in the top 15 and then it really changed the season went on and then once he got to the playoffs he was he was a beast in the playoffs he was a beast in the playoffs for Moose Jaw. And, you know, that's when I was really sold on him and I was really hoping that he come with the Penguins. I had him as my number one target because I think this is a guy,

Starting point is 00:04:14 you know, he's going to come into a penguin system that doesn't have much help. Once he starts, you know, probably playing for the Penguins, it's not going to be a good team, right? You know, that gap between this team and where we're going in the future is definitely going to be some dark times. But he's a guy that I think right now is the perfect pick for that spot. He brings everything you want between upside and, you know, for sure, stability. and between him and Nate Danielson, like I said, that was the scouter was talking. He said it's either one of those two guys that you can pencil in and anywhere in your lineup. Yeah, and Danielson went, you know, even before Yeager.

Starting point is 00:04:46 So that was pretty. I actually had Danielson going a little later than the thing was I thought he was going to be available, him and Seemachev, to be honest. I was stunned that they both went before Yeager. But, you know, that's just how the board falls sometimes. But you did mention Yeager's a really good playmaker, had 25 more assistance. this year, Josh. So he did work on other aspects of his game. Playoffs came around, got back to basics, six goals in 10 games.

Starting point is 00:05:13 I want to see him use more of that shot for his first junior season with the Penguins. I know he'll obviously be playing for his junior team, but he'll be drafted by the Penguins. That's what I'm really looking for with him. I think he has the capabilities to be a solid middle six winger potentially center. My comp to him was someone like a Mike Hoffman, who can obviously very much fire the puck. You had Beau Horvett, I think, for yours. I've seen Jared McCann throw out there. That actually makes a lot of sense when I watch a little more of him because McCann has that beautiful shot with the crack in Penguins fans obviously saw it as well. But any one of those

Starting point is 00:05:49 fires, I think is a decent comp for him. Do you think he's still three years away minimum or could he come to the Penguins a bit sooner? This might be bold, but like I was watching and, you know, there's a lot of stuff about his game that translate well to like the pro level. So I don't think he's as far away as most project. And like I said, he's that kind of guy you could slot him in anywhere, right? So I think he's going to make the jump a little bit sooner than most expect. Now, maybe that's just me being a little bit more optimistic and, you know, how high I am on the player. But between him and Nate Danielson, like I said, those are the guys that I really wanted

Starting point is 00:06:23 because I kind of felt like there are those two prospects that are going to fit in between the penguin's window to maybe make a jump if they did keep pick 14. and I think you're going to see Yeager a little bit sooner than most. Okay. I'm excited for it because the take I had for the prospect who would be most ready if he was the pick was Zach Benson. I actually thought he would be here in two years, but the Buffalo Sabres decided to pick him right before the payments.

Starting point is 00:06:47 And I keep saying this on the show, Josh. I do think he would have been the pick had he fallen one more spot. They took him out for dinner. He's one of the top prospects in this class. Shifting gears, I should say. to the next pick. And this guy has the greatest last name in the history of all last names.

Starting point is 00:07:09 Emil Pianini, Nemi. And yes, I did watch the video that the Penguins tweeted out to learn how to pronounce his last name. When I actually was watching him a little bit earlier today because I didn't really know much about him, Josh. He looks like someone who can really skate the puck out of danger in the defensive zone

Starting point is 00:07:25 can also activate himself in the offensive zone. I got some Marcus Pedersen, vibes watching him. What is your scouting report on him? And do you think he could make an impact on the penguins? Yeah, I do. But it's going to be a while. He's not like Yeager.

Starting point is 00:07:40 He's still very raw. He reminds me a little bit of Owen Pickering in the sense that they're going to need the maximum development time. And you know, when they took Owen Pickering last year, I want a Jimmy Snuggaroo. That's one pick that I'm still upset about. But Pickering, you know what you're getting, right? He's got the size. He's got the reach.

Starting point is 00:07:57 That's kind of a lot of similarities that you're getting here. but very raw. But he does have a lot, like you said, he's in all situations type defenseman. He looks, like he does have top four upside if all goes well, but the development's going to be the crucial part. And it's going to see now with Kyle Dubas here as the president of hockey operations, he did a good job with that in Toronto.

Starting point is 00:08:18 Obviously, like, you know, me covering that team, I know very well how Dubas likes to develop his roster. And he did a good job with that. Later on picks and stuff like that, he did real well. He made sure that, you know, in the American hockey league, he got them comfortable. And if they can do that here with Emil, I think this is a good pick. Now, it's a little high for where I wanted him to go.

Starting point is 00:08:38 It was a little bit of a reach. But like I said, he has good size. He's a fluent skater. But he's in all situations type defensemen. And that's what I really like because, you know, we don't have the best prospect pipeline to say the least. So getting guys like this that you know are going to be able, they're not going to be stars, but they have the potential to really build out that next generations of Penguins hockey. That's what I'm looking forward.

Starting point is 00:08:58 And I think this is a good pick here. And that was going to be my next question to you, Josh. There are a couple other defensemen who were on the board who seemed to be better value picks at the time. They actually went right after the penguins. So your thinking was it was a little high, but it's still fine? It's a little bit of a reach. There was some players I liked within that range.

Starting point is 00:09:19 But at the same time, this was a guy that I had to starve aside because he was a guy that I really followed throughout the season. And, you know, there was some question marks. He's not overly physical, but he's not afraid to use his. body in the corners and stuff like that. So like you said, you brought up Marcus Pedersen. I think that's a great comp. But still, he's going to need the development time.

Starting point is 00:09:38 So really, it could either be a boom pick or bust at this point. Yeah. And honestly, in this range, Josh, you never truly know what you're going to get. It's honestly just a crapshoot, to be honest. I would honestly argue the NHL draft as a whole is kind of a crapshoot after maybe what, the top 10, maybe top 15 because some of those guys, they never even make it to the NHL. They stay in the minors for their entire.

Starting point is 00:10:00 career. So it's really important that you hit on at least some of these guys in this class because, as you said, the prospect system, everyone knows it. It's not good. But it's going to be more important, I think, down the road that the Penguins really hit in these drafts. That's going to be the actual draft, I think, it's going to be the most important thing for the Penguins in a few years. Once the big guns retire, that's going to be huge because you need to really start developing younger talent and bringing them through your system, you know, like the Dallas stars have done with Jason Roberts and Rupert-Benz when Joe Bevelski came in was a bit older, Jamie, Ben got older, Tyler Sagan was getting older.

Starting point is 00:10:37 You got a hit on these picks. The Penguins are going to have to start doing that year sooner rather than later as the stars get closer to being 40, which is crazy that I'm even saying that out loud. But that would do it for this first segment. Coming up in the second segment, we're going to get to a couple of other draft selections that the Penguins made and we'll get Josh's thoughts on those. But before we get to that, we do have to discuss eight. AG1, the daily foundational nutrition supplement that supports whole body health.

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Starting point is 00:12:18 that's drinkag1.com slash NHL Network. Check it out. And we're back here on this episode of the Locked on Penguins podcast. I'm Hunter Hodes, joined by Josh and Salman. though. So Josh, let's get into a player now that I'm actually pretty intrigued about, and that is Mikhail Ilyan, a Russian player who the Penguins took in the mid-rounds today, a player who I think has a little bit of upside after watching some of his film after the pick. He looks like a really nice playmaker. A few instances that I watched, it looks like he has eyes in the back of his head when he's in the offensive zone. I saw him fire the puck, cross ice, just no look passes are like, wow, those were some beautiful plays.

Starting point is 00:12:59 What do you think of that pick? It's definitely a Kyle Dubas pick. Going back to his time in Toronto, he kind of love these kind of prospects, the high upside, you know, shoot for the stars late in the draft. They got him at pick 142. So, you know, you're not paying much

Starting point is 00:13:14 when you take a shot on a guy like that. From my notes from watching him throughout the year, he was, like he said, an intelligent player, very smart. But he was also a hard working forward. And that's what I like here. He played on both special teams. He was actually a penalty killer and on the power play. So you can see he's got a good motor to him.

Starting point is 00:13:33 He uses his high level hockey IQ to drive his offense. Like you said, you know, he's a very visual player. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes defensively, but also he's not really going to take you your team to the next level himself. He's more of that piece that I think eventually if he does make the NHL, he's going to be more of a top nine kind of guy. I don't think you're going to see him on. on the fourth line because he's got more of an offensive skill set to his game.

Starting point is 00:14:00 But there's definitely upside here. I like it. Now, he's another prospect that is raw. It is going to take probably the maximum development time. But when you're picking this late, right, that doesn't matter. So as long as, you know, you take the upside here, that's what I want to see from Penguins Management. And this is a big step up from Hextal in the way he used to attack the draft.

Starting point is 00:14:17 So he definitely has the skill set. And this is a Kyle Dubas pick for sure. Yeah, he played a little bit in the KHL this season, 21 games. Two points. A couple of people got a little nervous about that, Josh, but I think people have to remember Russian coaches are very stingy when it comes to playing younger players. That's just how it is. Unless you're Matt Vei Michkov, who is one of the best Russian prospects in recent memory, you're probably not going to get that much playing time as a really young player.

Starting point is 00:14:44 But on his junior team, Josh, he was really good, 26 points in 28 games. So he has the playmaking ability. He has the goal-scoring ability. I'm curious to see how he develops, but he's probably not. going to be, you know, over in North America for what, four to five years maybe longer, you're thinking? Okay. That makes sense, at least on that. Moving on to the next pick that the Penguins made, Cooper Foster. And is this the most Kyle Dubus pick of all the time, considering that he comes from

Starting point is 00:15:16 his hometown, plays the style that Dubus likes and all that other stuff? Definitely. I heard a lot about Cooper Foster, even before. made at the OHL. Obviously, I'm more Ontario-based. So Sue St. Marie, that's obviously how I know my stuff with Kyle. And he was talked about as one of the next up and coming guys from that area, goes to the Ottawa 67s. Now, I've really liked this pick for a few reasons. Now, if you watch the OHL, you know the Ottawa 67s were a powerhouse this season. And they had a lot of their guys already set up from previous years. And obviously, when you're kind of on that fringe spot,

Starting point is 00:15:52 you're not really part of the key contributing guys. You know, you fall a little bit. Your role gets lessened. But next season, this is a guy that I'm willing to go on the limb for and say that he is going to have a better season next year. He's got good speed. He's a speed-driven forward. He's got strong puck handling ability.

Starting point is 00:16:09 And even though he was on such a stack team with limited ice time, in 63 games, you had 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points. So, you know, the offensive upside is definitely there, especially for where you got him at 174. So this is a guy that I'm looking at next year. This is an under the radar kind of tinkering move that, you know, he's another prospect that's going to need more time. But I like this move.

Starting point is 00:16:31 And I think next year you're really going to get the full just of it. Do you think he's ever going to come out of the OHL or is he just going to be there for a little bit? He might. He's going to be a guy that I'm going to watch for Wilkes-Bare. Now, maybe not to make the team originally, but to come up maybe at the end of the season, as soon as next year, if all goes well, the O-HL. it's an interesting league because it's a high scoring league. So we haven't really had a lot of OHL prospects here in Pittsburgh in a while.

Starting point is 00:16:59 So it's going to be interesting. Now with Dubus, we're starting to see a whole, like you're getting the full Dubus effect with bringing in all the talent from Ontario and guys like Gavin Veerling and Avery Hayes. So he's going to be a guy that I'm going to watch for Wilkesper at the end of next season. If he does well in Ottawa next year, I think he's a guy that we can maybe see get at least a chance in the NHL like come playoff time. Well, we all know Wilkesbury is starving for talent. They were not good this past season.

Starting point is 00:17:25 They haven't been gone, honestly, the past couple of seasons. And I think it's been a priority of the new management staff and Mike Sullivan to get Wilkesbury back to being competitive. Because even when the Penguins were winning cups, even, you know, it was five, six years ago. Wilkesbury was still making the playoffs. But since then, they've kind of fallen off a little bit. They got to get that team back up and running. A couple other players to get to here before we go to a commercial break. Josh, Emil Yarrventi.

Starting point is 00:17:49 Another finish for the Penguins and their finish guys. They love taking the Finns. But he played pretty good in one of the Finnish leagues this season for his U-20 league 19 points in 21 games. And the under 18 World Junior Championship had three goals, six points in five games. So the Penguins, I think, are going for someone who has playmaking ability, goal scoring ability, high upside. What do you make of that pick?

Starting point is 00:18:15 This has steel written all over. When I saw this pick, I lost it. because initially my top 100, I have Emili Arventi as the number 73 prospect in the whole draft. And, you know, at the time, that was a little bit rich compared to some consensus. But, you know, I just loved his vision. And I put that in my elite category and his quick release, it blends well together. And, you know, for a guy to fall this far, I certainly did not see that coming. Even this morning, I was talking to one of my friends who else's draft work and we're like,

Starting point is 00:18:45 is this guy really going to fall out of the draft? And once I saw it because Pittsburgh was taking a long time with this pick. The clock was going and going. And I was like, okay, who are they going to go with here? Because there's a lot of good options still. And when I saw Emilio Arventi, I was like, okay, this is awesome for a seventh round pick. To me, this is a steal. This is a guy that it's going to be a while.

Starting point is 00:19:04 But for that next phase of Penguins hockey, when there's not going to be real, like, there's no competition in the system right now in terms of prospects, he's going to be able to take his time to develop. this is a good organization for, you know, a player like this, because we have a lot of, how to describe it, we have a lot of, like, I wouldn't say locked, like our future is going to be dark. There's going to be a lot of freedom. He's going to step right in. He's a top six player for me.

Starting point is 00:19:31 So, you know, he's not going into a team that's already loaded with prospects where his spot's going to be tough to crack. He's going to get his time. This is a Kyle Dubas type guy. The skills off the charts. Now, there is some work in the defense's own and stuff like that. But as he matures, this is a player that I think we're, we're going to get used to, and I think we're going to like a lot of

Starting point is 00:19:47 Penguins fans in a few years. Finally on Callie Kangas, another awesome name. The Penguins picked some amazing names today in the NHL draft, a big six-four defenseman. Man, Josh, they love their big defenseman in the draft between Hanyangis and Owen Pickering, who's a big boy as well. I thought if Sima Shev was going to be available at 14, he was maybe going to be the pick because he's a big boy who can also skate.

Starting point is 00:20:14 What do you make of that? that pick. It's interesting because you kind of look at these picks and there's definitely some Caldubish traits to these, as I've seen in Toronto, but it also kind of feels like these are still Hextall's boys making these picks because, you know, Hextall, like Owen Pickering last year, I was really surprised. I didn't think that was the guy Pittsburgh was going to go with. But like, like you said, they like their tall defense.

Starting point is 00:20:35 Now, I'm actually okay with that because if you look at the last recent Stanley Cup winners and, you know, like guys like Nick Hague and stuff like that who Vegas draft, these decors have size to them and they're they're not overly physical but they have size and sometimes that's a good thing and you know the penguins prospect pipeline is raw there's not very much going there and taking a guy like this in the seventh round in cali canis it's shooting for upside now i did have a markdown as more of the defensive type um who he he does cut down um uh opposition attacks using a stick well he's good at breaking up opposition chances on the rush which is good.

Starting point is 00:21:13 That's going to translate well to the North American style. But it's not one that I'm going to be writing down and watching for a few years. I think this is a seventh round pick, but also it's not a bad one. It's a safe one. But it's just the ceiling's low, but the floor is quite high. So I'm okay with it. I probably would have won a different option, a different route here. There's guys like Matthew Soto, who I think would have been a better fit here.

Starting point is 00:21:37 But still, I like this pick. And I think the whole draft overall, I would have gave it a beat. plus. That was giving me my next question. So you just answered that right before, right there before we went to a commercial break. I would personally give it, you know, I think a B minus. I would have liked to see that maybe go for a Gabe Perot and Oliver Moore, something like that with the number 14 pick. But I think I can get behind Braden Yeager. And he looks like a very easy kid to root for with how confident he is. He was beaming with just how happy he was when he was Beck and then all these other players.

Starting point is 00:22:10 really excited about that as well. Coming up in the final segment, we're going to get into a player that was kind of thrown under the radar last week when Kyle Dubas signed him to a two-year contract with Wilkesbury. Josh, I think knows who that is because he played in the OHL. We're going to get into that, plus a little bit more draft-related content coming up right after this break. All right, we're back here in this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast.

Starting point is 00:22:34 Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows Twitter at LO underscore Penguins. So, Josh, you sent me this right when it was put out there, and then I saw the press release. Wilkesbury signed Avery Hayes of the OHL, career high 43 goals this past season split between Hamilton and Peterborough, and then he also led Pete's, the Pete's, excuse me, with 12 goals during this year's playoff run.

Starting point is 00:22:57 Wilkesbury signed him to a two-year contract and 237 career OHL games. He has 106 goals and 203 points. And in the playoffs, 54 points in 42 games. So he is a big-time player. Josh, why was this? such a Dubus moving. Could he actually be a call up to the Penguins at some point this upcoming season? Oh, for sure.

Starting point is 00:23:19 Now, I remember we were talking about this while the HL season was so gone. And when Dubus officially came to Pittsburgh, I said, keeping on Avery Hayes, because this was a guy in Toronto that he made it very obvious that he was a fan of. He brought him to development camp. They just, Toronto had a really tough time with contracts. And, you know, they do have a pretty good prospect system still, despite how competitive they are.

Starting point is 00:23:40 And that's thanks to Dubus. So they never really had that freedom to kind of sign him. But he was always lurking around in the shadows. And, you know, I felt like now looking at Pittsburgh's pipeline and, you know, even thinking if you're in dubous's shoes, what are you going to do, right? You're going to try and restock this whole organization with as much talent as you can get. And Avery Hayes, who was an overager last season with Peterborough, had a stellar season. In the Memorial Cup, for those that watched, there was a play against Camloops.

Starting point is 00:24:07 When Peterborough eliminated Camloops, he made a diving stick effort. He got beat on the play, but he made a diving stick effort, poke the puck just out. Peterborough wins the game. That's the kind of player you're going to get here. He's willing to do anything to win. He's gritty. He's not the fastest guy.

Starting point is 00:24:21 He's not the greatest skater, but he can play. And he's got a lot of tangibles. I think for sure we're going to see him at some point in a penguin's uniform. He's not that far away from the pro game, I think. I think once he perfects that stride, it gets a little bit quicker, then you're going to start to see him blossom a little more. But this is another player that I'm really looking forward to watching. in the HAL next season.

Starting point is 00:24:42 But since we're talking about Avery Hayes, I also got to bring up Evan Veerling. Veerling is another guy that they brought in just before Dubus. So credit to Wilkesbury Management down there. But Veerling had a stellar season last year in the O.HL as well with the Barry Colts. This was a guy that I'm telling him. He has serious level skill. It's been an interesting development path for him.

Starting point is 00:25:02 Obviously, you know, some prospects have smoother transitions than some others, but he can play. And his stick handling ability, his wrist shot, he's a two-way player. He really figured it out this season in Barry, and he was actually the second overall pick in the OHL draft, I remember correctly, just after Quinn and Byfield. He went ahead of guys at Culper Fetty and Jamie Drysdale.

Starting point is 00:25:23 So he's got the skill level for sure. And now that he's going to be a little bit more comfortable in Wilkes-Bair, I think this is a guy that you're also going to be seeing in the future at sometime at PPG Paints Arena. I'm just got Wilkesbury is getting more talent, especially with these two. Do you expect both to play? In the top six, bottom six, where do you project them to be?

Starting point is 00:25:43 I think Avery Hayes is more of a top nine kind of player. He could play on your fourth line for sure. That's what I like about him is he's a jack of all traits. You could put him in your top six if you want. He put in the top six that's here for Peterborough. But he could also kill penalties for you. He's got a little bit of a Brian Rust edge to him. That's what I like.

Starting point is 00:25:59 He's a hard worker. He's got a good motor. For Evan Veerling, I think more of a bottom six, but he has that third line center potential if all goes right. Like I said, he has the skill set. but this year he really transitioned his game to become a more complete player. He's not overly physical, but he does well in corners. He doesn't give up on plays, and he's got the stick handling ability that I think, you know,

Starting point is 00:26:21 can really translate well to the NHL. So these are two guys that, you know, they kind of got under the radar, but I think we're going to get used to here in Pittsburgh. Sounds like a dream for Mike Sullivan. That's for sure. Overall, to wrap up now, Josh, when you look at the work the Penguins did this week with the scouting staff and Nick Pryor, Are you confident in their abilities moving forward,

Starting point is 00:26:41 or do you think Kyle is going to bring his own guys in when July starts heading into next season? I'm kind of mixed on this. I think Dubas initially felt like he was going to just change everything, but I think he's going to give them a shot here. I think they had a good draft. I think he likes the way they're coming out of this draft. So I think he's going to be a little bit more patient than I expected.

Starting point is 00:27:05 Now, I know a lot of people are unhappy. Now, look, the draft like back, like, like, Tristan Braz, I'm just going to bring up. That was a pick that I was just not a fan of at the time. And, you know, it's looking bad now. There's not a lot of good early returns. But, you know, looking at Owen Pickering last season, you know, he's raw, but he's doing a lot of good things.

Starting point is 00:27:23 Now, the transition this year, you wanted to see him take a little bit more of a step. But looking at their overall basis, like last year, they actually didn't have too bad of a draft. If you go back and look right now at that full class and what they did last season, like Luke Devlin is a guy that I really like. Got to see him a few times over the summer. And I like Pickering quite a bit. I mean, I hope he can play at some point here at the initial level.

Starting point is 00:27:44 I keep getting asked questions, Josh. Is he going to be ready for this season? I think he's still at least another year away, maybe two. Yeah, he's still raw. But like the thing is, I think he's going to be an NHL player for sure. How fluent he moves for a guy of his side, it's incredible. And, you know, the offense is something that I'm going to be watching for more this year. It didn't really come last year.

Starting point is 00:28:07 But I know he has it in a minute. I think, you know, we're looking early here, but Team Canada for the world juniors, that's what I'm going to be looking forward to seeing if he can crack that roster next year because he's got the skill set. And if he can land there, then I think you're starting to see a lot more progress. But he hasn't really gotten that attention from the national stage. And that's what I'm going to be looking for next year. Can he get that finally now after all this?

Starting point is 00:28:30 Yeah, I didn't really mind the class too much as a whole. But I do think fans are starting to get sick a little bit of Nick Pryor just because some do not think he's qualified. I don't think much of him because obviously he's the son of Chris Pryor. At least when it comes to that, just to wrap up, Josh, do you think he is going to stay as the director of amateur scouting? Or do you think he'll move on and maybe some of the other scouts? No, I think eventually there will be a time here where Dubus makes his switch.

Starting point is 00:28:56 Dubus is, he's got a very strict philosophy on how he likes to build his team, how he likes his organizations. Now, he's a skating first kind of guy in terms of how he makes his selections. that's why I was saying guys, you know, like Cooper Foster are very Dubus-like picks. Whereas it kind of felt like the old regime was more size-driven and, you know, that extra element of physicality and stuff like that. I think you're going to see Dubus kind of like Wes Clark in Toronto. He does an amazing job of finding like the Kyle Dubus type guy. So I think Kyle's obviously I think West Clark's going to stay in Toronto.

Starting point is 00:29:29 It's going to be hard to him over here. But I think Dubus is going to try and find that next guy for him because at the end of the day, all general managers want third guy, right? So I think that he's going to want somebody that sees more his eye to eye, but I don't think it's going to be an instant move. I think he's going to give these guys a chance. Yeah, Kyle did say that he'll start working on his hockey op staff after a prospect camp, which will end right after the 4th of July here in the United States. But that will wrap up this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast.

Starting point is 00:29:56 Josh, I really appreciate you coming on and giving your insight on all these picks, plus Avery Hayes, but let everyone know where they can find your work. Thank you for having me on first. I'm a writer for Inside the Rink, like you said, for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. I also do a ton of draft stuff on my Twitter. You can follow me at ITD underscore Encelma for my penguins-related stuff. Actually, I have a couple things coming out on the Penguins that I think if you're a fan of prospects and stuff like that, I think you're going to enjoy. So I highly recommend going to check that out.

Starting point is 00:30:28 But once again, thank you for having me on. It was a pleasure talking hockey with you. and I'm excited to see how things go at development camp coming up here. Yeah, I know some of the picks are going to be there. Some of them will not be, but really excited to see how they play against some of the other prospects in the system. But that will do it for this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. Again, Josh, really appreciate you coming on.

Starting point is 00:30:49 I have another episode for you all on Friday where we will do a full free agency preview for Saturday, July 1st, and I'll have a bonus episode coming on Saturday after the Penguins make some moves, whether it's a debt forward, maybe there's a trade in there, any news the Penguins make, I will have it here first for you all for the Locked-on Penguins podcast. But again, thank you all so much for tuning in. I'll talk with you all on Friday.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Reviewing the Penguins draft class with Josh Anselmo!

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