PensBurgh’s 2026 edition of the Top 25 Under 25 countdown continues with defensive prospect Peyton Kettles.
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025
Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest
#25: Chase Pietila, D
#24: Ryan Miller, F
#23: Finn Harding, D
#22: Peyton Kettles, D
2025 Ranking: No. 13
Age: 18 (September 1, 2007)
Acquired Via: 2025 NHL Draft. 2nd Round, 39th Overall
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 194 pounds
A shoulder surgery derailed Kettles’ 2025-26 season. He underwent surgery early in the year but was able to return at the tail end of the season to jump right
into the Memorial Cup playoffs to get back on the ice.
“It just built up over time,” Kettles said of the wear and tear on his shoulder. “I had dislocated my shoulder a couple of years ago. It was just stress on the labrum. I tore it twice, and I decided to get the surgery on it.”
Despite the struggles, the Penguins re-signed him to an entry level contract and facilitated his rehab process. Now, it’s time for Kettles to make up for lost time by adding more strength according to Pittsburgh’s director of player development Tom Kostopolous.
“He’ll have the summer to really build his strength. It was hard stepping into the Memorial Cup when you’ve been out that long. But credit to him, he put the work in and jumped in there. Now, he’s got the whole summer to build his strength so he can play more physical and aggressive. That will come as the summer goes along.”
Strength will be a major part of Kettles’ development, the rangy defensemen is best known for his defensive abilities.
Unlike many in his draft class, Kettles is sticking with the CHL and his pro contract has shut-off the NCAA route. He will play in the WHL again for 2026-27, then probably get assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre for the end of the season. (This might be a good time for a reminder the new NHL CBA rules about having a teenaged CHL player eligible for the AHL only apply to first round picks, which Kettles is not).
Kettles is a sort of a throwback player, where his game depends on maintaining a good gap defensively and bearing down on forwards trying to rush on him. He has the size and edge to use his physicality to disrupt offense. As directly noted, the organization will now be looking for him to put more strength on in order to have that effectiveness in the future when he’s going up in competition.
Kettles ended up falling in position from last year’s Top 25 due to the injury. It’s usually never a good sign when a defenseman has a major shoulder surgery. Last year he also had the shine of being a relatively high second round pick, which has dimmed a little in the year that follows.
However, he remains a unique prospect and one that the organization had good reason to sign and be hopeful for his future. It will require some patience and building as Kettles plays in juniors this season and likely some AHL time after that, but the investment of a high draft pick shows that the club believes he could have a bright future. It’s just going to take some time for him to become a finished product. That was known on draft day last season and only solidified by getting his shoulder right last year. Now that those steps are in place, the next ones for Kettles will be to have a great junior season, maybe make a run at getting on the radar of Hockey Canada for the upcoming World Juniors tournament and make some developmental gains in the final chapter of his junior career before the next steps happen.
