With the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins select…

[SomeDude]

Let’s be real, if Bedard fell to 14 we’d still complain because obviously the rest of the teams know something Dubas missed. Prepare for outrage.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[Ryder71]

Two things, I wonder who picked up the check, also did he bring him back from dinner? These are the variables we might want to concern ourselves with.

 

[SomeDude]

Two things, I wonder who picked up the check, also did he bring him back from dinner? These are the variables we might want to concern ourselves with.

We need to know what he ordered, if it was a salad it was not meant to be. Steak, he’s a future Penguin.

 

[Peat]

We need to know what he ordered, if it was a salad it was not meant to be. Steak, he’s a future Penguin.

Steak salad with fries on?

 

[SomeDude]

Steak salad with fries on?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

We need to know what he ordered, if it was a salad it was not meant to be. Steak, he’s a future Penguin.

I wonder if Sid was there when he got the salad and stood up solemnly and said "that's not how we do things in Pittsburgh."

 

[SomeDude]

I wonder if Sid was there when he got the salad and stood up solemnly and said "that's not how we do things in Pittsburgh."

From your lips to Rossi’s day dream fantasy

 

[Ryder71]

We need to know what he ordered, if it was a salad it was not meant to be. Steak, he’s a future Penguin.

I hope he's there, but I don't know if he'll be there at 14. But if we ended up with him I have no problem with it whatsoever.

 

[SomeDude]

I hope he's there, but I don't know if he'll be there at 14. But if we ended up with him I have no problem with it whatsoever.

Dubas can start the rumor that he tried to order soup so he could get another meal out of him and he will fall.

 

[Zbynek]

We still have this pick? Doober....

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

We still have this pick? Doober....

Pretty much positive they are just going to use it to draft someone.

You ready for the next Colby Armstrong?!?

 

[Ryder71]

Dubas can start the rumor that he tried to order soup so he could get another meal out of him and he will fall.

Pretty much positive they are just going to use it to draft someone.

You ready for the next Colby Armstrong?!?

I think he'll be better than Armstrong, I think Armstrong was drafted 21st overall. This is a much deeper draft. We'll see in the next 5 or 6 years though.

 

[SomeDude]

Pretty much positive they are just going to use it to draft someone.

You ready for the next Colby Armstrong?!?

If he’s going to be traded for the next Marian Hossa/pascal Dupuis then sure.

 

[Ryder71]

These ignorant people who just want to throw away another draft pick because they want to give the dinosaurs another shot at it wow! LOL yeah let's go all in with guys who have virtually no chance to even get into the second round. Let's waste another first round pick on that yippee!

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

If he’s going to be traded for the next Marian Hossa/pascal Dupuis then sure.

No no no... we'd need an Esposito on top of that. So whoever this project will be plus Pickering.

Yeah OK sign me up.

 

[Peat]

Jesse's preferences for the pick are Benson or Perreault as wishful thinking, or Colby Barlow, Oliver Moore or Axel Sandin-Pellikka as more realistically there.

He makes the point that Moore's skating and IQ would give him a potentially short road to Pittsburgh, which I do like.

I think I'd be happy with all of those. Barlow gives me Jack Quinn vibes. Benson sounds like a huge potential get.

 

[Turin]

Benson I didn't think would be available but there's more smoke there recently. I am pretty caveman when it comes to the first round - draft the guy who scores the most. I would be pretty excited about Benson should they keep the pick.

 

[Jacob]

Yeah nobody has Benson falling to us, or even to 11 or 12, and we definitely don’t have the assets to move up. Weird, but maybe GMs just draw straws to see who takes who out to dinner or something. And then share notes. There’s definitely not enough time for everyone to take everyone out to dinner.

Obviously if he does fall he’s a no brainer pick. Insane ES production. Maybe he came in at the combine shorter than advertised or some scouts are iffy on his skating. Or he farted trying to do a pull-up.

Another thought on skating.. Beau Bennett made some significant strides in it from draft year to pros. I’d say it went from an issue to above average, for a player of his size and build. All facets, balance, speed, etc. Thinking about that PO goal where he got a step on the D to the outside and scored from a tough angle in like 2013. He still didn’t pan out but it obviously wasn’t because of his wheels.

I also think it’s interesting that so many of the top end guys in this draft have had questions around their skating (Cristall, Perreault, Wood, Benson). Makes me think that the onus on speed in the NHL just made viewers and scouts become more critical of it for prospects. Not that this is some unusually flat-footed top-16 or anything. But it’s a skill like defense or strength or shot release that can be improved upon.

 

[Ryder71]

Based on the preliminary information I have at my disposal Benson would be a very Great Value at number 14. I think he's a top 10 talent to be sure, for us to get him at 14 would be just tremendous!

Yeah nobody has Benson falling to us, or even to 11 or 12, and we definitely don’t have the assets to move up. Weird, but maybe GMs just draw straws to see who takes who out to dinner or something. And then share notes. There’s definitely not enough time for everyone to take everyone out to dinner.

Obviously if he does fall he’s a no brainer pick. Insane ES production. Maybe he came in at the combine shorter than advertised or some scouts are iffy on his skating.

I think we can move up three or four spots if need be, I wouldn't say that would be completely unfathomable for us to consider or do.

 

[Peat]

Yeah nobody has Benson falling to us, or even to 11 or 12, and we definitely don’t have the assets to move up. Weird, but maybe GMs just draw straws to see who takes who out to dinner or something. And then share notes. There’s definitely not enough time for everyone to take everyone out to dinner.

Obviously if he does fall he’s a no brainer pick. Insane ES production. Maybe he came in at the combine shorter than advertised or some scouts are iffy on his skating.

One of the NHL.com final mocks has us picking Benson. He feels like a last minute faller.

 

[The Old Master]

If we pass on Moore if available, Dubas and Co deserve the Hextall treatment.

depends on who's left. imo my picks would be benson, yager, moore

 

[Ogelthorpe]

depends on who's left. imo my picks would be benson, yager, moore

Benson over Moore, I can see a case for.
Yager over Moore, no way. Yager gives me Angelo Esposito vibes.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Regardless of what happens, somebody is going to be available that projects to be a better prospect since anybody this team's picked since they had the 8OA from the Staal trade.

Probably won't work out because the draft is a crapshoot and this team's recent drafting/development record isn't exactly stellar, but whatever. Cross your fingers and hope for the best.

 

[Al Smith]

14 NHL Overall Draft Picks | StatMuse

Brayden Yager was chosen by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft.

www.statmuse.com

Sully sees this list and is working on Dubas to find the next Zach Boychuk.