The Penguins are in the books for the 2026 NHL entry draft. It was an active event in terms of shuffling around, the Pens made two trades to improve their 2026 draft stock. Pittsburgh picked up a fourth round pick at 111th overall by giving up a sixth round pick (170) this year as well as a fourth round pick (Winnipeg’s) in next year’s draft. Pittsburgh later grabbed a fifth round pick (160) by trading Nashville a future fifth round pick in 2028.
Here was the team’s complete haul, highlighted at the top
by drafting both Ruck brothers as their first two picks.
We went in depth for the first round pick, Liam Ruck, last night. Adding twin brother Markus sets the major tone of the draft – the Pens are casting their lot with their only two top-50 picks this year by going with the Rucks. Their progress in the years to come will likely make or break the results of how their 2026 haul is viewed.
After accomplishing the task of grabbing the twins, Tomas Galvas looks like a classic Kyle Dubas type of player. The 20-year old Czech went undrafted in his first two years of eligibility but rose throughout the 2025-26 season. He isn’t big, he can skate very well and he can move the puck. Being older than most of the draft class also means Galvas’ impact (at least at the minor league level) should be felt earlier. The Pens added plenty of size to their prospect portfolio on the blueline in their 2025 draft class with players like Peyton Kettles, Brady Peddle and Charlie Tretheway, they get a different profil with Galvas. More on Galvas here.
The Pens made Pierce Mbuyi their third round selection. Mbuyi, a Penn State commit, is another player that Dubas has liked in the past mid-rounds by drafting similar players like Ty Voit, Mac Swanson, Nick Abruzzese. All are undersized physically with substantial skill and offensive ability. Mbuyi was named the OHL’s rookie of the year in 2025-26, scoring 32 goals and 75 points in 68 games for Owen Sound. At 5’11, he’s not pint-sized but will have to add some weight to a 160 pound frame. Like most mid-round picks, it will require some time, patience and work for the Pens to try and develop something down the line.
The fourth round pick of Parker Von Richter is interesting, if for nothing else because the Pens traded up to make sure they would draft the 6’1″ 205 pound defenseman. Like his fellow 2026 draft classmate Galvas, Von Richter is a 20-year old overage player. Elite Prospects describes him like this:
Von Richter closes quickly on puck carriers, hammering them to the boards. He cuts off breakouts in the neutral zone, before quickly transitioning play up the other way. His retrievals and breakouts are executed cleanly and confidently, and he joins the rush on almost every opportunity, opening lanes all the way up the ice
Von Richter is a right shot defender and also figures to be a factor somewhere within the organization sooner than later.
With their final pick of the event, the Pens selected a Belarussian goalie Matvei Nikonovich in the fifth round, and again trading into position to take this player. Nikonovich played in 38 games for Lada Togliatti’s MHL level team in 2025-26, posting a .939 save percentage and a 1.96 GAA. Great stats, though par for the course due to the style and scoring amounts of that league. Nikonovich is very young, not turning 18 until tomorrow. He’s likely a player that will continue to develop in the KHL system for the next handful of years.
Overall it was an interesting draft for the Pens, as all drafts tend to be. They certainly leaned into a bold direction to take both of the Rucks, then rounded things out with two overage defenders and an intriguing mid-round skilled winger. Add in what could be the ultimate wildcard when it comes to NHL drafting by taking a 17-year old Russian goalie that could be anywhere from irrelevant footnote all the way to potential franchise star, or somewhere in between five years from now. In the end, the success and impact of this group for the future will be heavily on the shoulders of the twins and how their development in the next few years turns out.
