2021 Pittsburgh Penguins Draft Tracker: Penguins Select Defenseman And Center With Final 2 Picks
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins will have five picks in this year's 2021 NHL Draft.
The team only has draft selections in the second, fifth and seventh rounds and therefore did not make any picks on Friday.
NHL teams are making their selections remotely, which are being broadcasted from the NHL Network studios in New Jersey.
Keep up to date with all of Pittsburgh's selections with the 2021 Penguins Draft Tracker!
2021 NHL Draft Schedule:
Friday, July 23 - 8 p.m. - Round 1
Saturday, July 24 - 11 a.m. - Rounds 2-7
Penguins draft picks:
- Round 2 (58th overall) -- Forward Tristan Broz
With the 58th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins chose forward Tristan Broz from the Fargo Force.
The 18-year-old Broz has two-plus seasons with the Force in the United States Hockey League and has scored 34 goals and 56 assists for 90 points in 108 games.
This past season, he set his career-highs scoring 19 goals, 32 assists, good for 51 points.
Broz was just one of 14 USHL players to score 50 or more points.
The Bloomington, Minnesota native has committed to the University of Minnesota for the 2021-22 season.
With the 58th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Pittsburgh Penguins select forward Tristan Broz.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 24, 2021
Welcome to Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/hkPUfm6bNQ
"I'd say I'm a pretty skilled, playmaking forward," Broz said in an interview following his selection. "I like to use my creativity, my hands, and my stickhandling ability to set up chances and create offense for my team and my teammates."
- Round 5 (154th overall) - Defenseman Isaac Belliveau
With the 154th selection, the Penguins chose defenseman Isaac Belliveau from the Gatineau Olympiques in the Quebec Major-Junior Hockey League.
The 18-year-old from Orford, Quebec, Canada, has spent the past four seasons in the QMJHL, and most recently with the Olympiques.
He played parts of three seasons with the Rimouski Oceanic, the same team Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby played for in juniors, and then part of this past season with the Olympiques.
In those seasons, he scored 16 goals, 55 assists, good for 71 points.
With the 154th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Penguins select defenseman Isaac Belliveau. pic.twitter.com/DTvwvrqcEA
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 24, 2021
- Round 7 (194th overall) - Defenseman Ryan McCleary
With their first of three picks in the seventh round, the Penguins selected Portland Winterhawks defenseman, Ryan McCleary.
The Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada native played 18 games for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League in 2020-21, scoring two goals and five assists for seven points in 18 games.
With the 194th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Penguins select defenseman Ryan McCleary. pic.twitter.com/oorI9Cvj7t
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 24, 2021
- Round 7 (215th overall) - Defenseman Daniel Laatsch
With their second pick of the seventh-round, the Penguins selected defenseman Daniel Laatsch of the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL.
In 51 games with Sioux City, the defenseman recorded two goals and 17 assists for 19 points.
He is currently committed to playing the 2021-22 season with the University of Wisconsin Badgers.
With the 215th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Penguins select defenseman Daniel Laatsch. pic.twitter.com/OLmJruI4GD
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 24, 2021
- Round 7 (218th overall) - Center Kirill Tankov
In their final pick of the 2021 draft, the Penguins selected center Kirill Tankov of Russia.
Between time with SKA Morozova and SKA St. Petersburg in the 2020-21 season, Tankov scored 19 goals, 25 assists for 44 points in 60 games played.
With the 218th pick in the 2021 #NHLDraft, the Penguins select forward Kirill Tankov. pic.twitter.com/GwzozbleSx
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 24, 2021