Penguins draft forward Mac Swanson, defenseman Finn Harding in 7th round of 2024 NHL Entry Draft
LAS VEGAS (KDKA) - The Penguins are set to make at least six picks on the second day of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas.
They currently hold two picks in the second round, 44th and 46th overall; one pick in the fourth round, 111th overall; one in the sixth round, 175th overall; and two in the seventh round, 207th and 223rd overall.
The 44th overall pick was acquired by the Penguins in the Jake Guentzel trade with the Carolina Hurricanes and the 223rd overall pick was acquired in a 2023 NHL Entry Draft trade with the New York Rangers.
The Penguins did not have a pick in the first round of the draft after trading that pick to the San Jose Sharks last summer when the team acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson.
Day two of the NHL Entry Draft gets started at 11:30 a.m. EST at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Penguins select defenseman Harrison Brunicke 44th overall
With the 44th overall pick in the NHL Draft's second round, the Penguins selected defenseman Harrison Brunicke of the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League.
In the last two seasons with the Blazers, Brunicke recorded 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in 108 games.
He was also part of Team Canada at the U-18 World Junior Championships, scoring one goal and three assists in seven games.
Penguins select forward Tanner Howe 46th overall
Just two picks later, the Penguins selected forward Tanner Howe of the Regina Pats 46th overall.
The captain of the Pats has put up big numbers in the WHL the previous few seasons, scoring 25 or more goals in the past three years.
In 2022-23, he scored a career-high 36 goals and 85 points in 67 games.
This last season, Howe recorded 28 goals, 49 assists for 77 points in 68 games.
Penguins acquire Kevin Hayes, 2025 second-round pick
Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas announced that the team has acquired forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-round pick from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Kevin Hayes.
Read more on the trade right here.
Penguins select defenseman Chase Pietila 111th overall
With their third pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins picked 20-year-old defenseman Chase Pietila.
Pietila spent the 2023-24 season in the NCAA with Michigan Tech, appearing in 40 games and scoring three goals and 19 assists for 22 points.
He also spent time between 2021 and 2023 with the Youngstown Phantoms, appearing in 116 games in the USHL, scoring eight goals and 39 assists for 47 points.
Penguins select defenseman Joona Vaisanen with 175th overall pick
In the sixth round, the Penguins selected defenseman Joona Vaisanen out of the USHL. In 53 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, he scored 9 goals and 31 assists for 40 points.
The 19-year-old defenseman also appeared in 10 games with the Finnish U20 team, scoring one goal and one assist.
Vaisanen spent last season playing for now Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Head Coach Kirk MacDonald.
Penguins select forward Mac Swanson with 207th overall pick
With the first of two seventh-round selections, the Penguins drafted forward Mac Swanson out of the USHL. The 18-year-old Alaska native stands at 5-foot-8 and weighs 175 pounds.
In 55 games last season, Swanson recorded 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists).
Penguins close out 2024 draft by selecting defenseman Finn Harding with 223rd overall pick
The Penguins wrapped up their 2024 draft by selecting another defenseman—Finn Harding. Harding is listed as a 6-foot-1, 201-pound right-handed defenseman.
The Toronto native has spent the last two seasons with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. During the 2023-24 season, Harding recorded 10 goals and 24 assists in 68 games.