LAS VEGAS \u2014 After sitting out the first round of the NHL draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a pair of prospects from the Canadian junior ranks in Saturday\u2019s second round.<\/p>\n
Their selection at 44th overall was Kamloops defenseman Harrison Brunicke, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, then moved to Calgary at the age of 2.<\/p>\n
Brunicke, 18, is a right-handed shot and is listed at 6-foot-3 and 196 pounds. He is considered a two-way defenseman with strong skating ability. He had 10 goals and 21 points with a minus-12 rating in 49 games for Kamloops last season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a lot of attributes that made him really attractive to us,\u201d Penguins director of amateur scouting Nick Pryor said. \u201cAnytime you can find a defenseman that can move like that at that size, and move the puck well, it is really attractive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two picks later, the Penguins drafted feisty Regina Pats forward Tanner Howe.<\/p>\n
Howe, 18, is a forward with a left shot. He\u2019s 5-10 and 184 pounds. He had 36 goals and 85 points in 2022-23 and followed it up with 28 goals and 77 points last season. He was captain for the Pats in 2023-24, taking over for Connor Bedard.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a crazy feeling. Hugging your parents and family, it\u2019s pretty crazy. Obviously speechless,\u201d Howe said during a joint press conference alongside Brunicke at the Sphere. \u201cPittsburgh is such a great organization. Can\u2019t wait to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Howe, who admitted his skating needs some work, called himself a competitive player who embraces the agitator role. Brad Marchand is one of his favorites. Pryor agreed, calling him a player with a \u201chigh motor,\u201d plus some strength and skill.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of call myself a Swiss Army Knife,\u201d Howe added. \u201cI [can play] in all positions, I can play penalty kill and I think I\u2019m good five-on-five, too. I play wing or centerman. I think that\u2019s kind of what makes me special. I can play with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brunicke described himself as \u201ca two-way defenseman,\u201d saying he tries to mirror his game after Miro Heiskanen, the stud blue-liner for the Dallas Stars. He said he wants to become more physical, throwing hits and winning more battles.<\/p>\n
The Penguins added two more right-shot defensemen with their next two picks.<\/p>\n
With the 111th selection in the fourth round, they selected Chase Pietila. Pietila, 20, plays at Michigan Tech. Listed at 6-2 and 186 pounds, he had 22 points in 40 games in 2023-24. Previously, he played for Youngstown of the USHL.<\/p>\n
Two rounds later, at No. 175 overall, the Penguins picked up Joona Vaisanen, 19. Another overager, he is from Finland but played for Dubuque of the USHL in 2023-24. He had nine goals and 40 points in 53 games for the Fighting Saints. His coach was Kirk MacDonald, the new Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton head coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw [Kirk] this week at the draft, and Kirk said very, very positive things about him as a player and as a person,\u201d Pryor said. \u201cSo it only added to our information that we had and made us feel every better about selecting Joona.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the Penguins\u2019 prospect pool had been lacking right-shot defensemen, Pryor said the team did not go into the weekend looking to hammer that position.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we talk about what we have and what we don\u2019t have, and what we would like to add,\u201d he said. \u201cWith where we are right now, we want to add to kind of every position in our prospect pool. So I\u2019d say that was more the way the board fell. It just so happened that right-shot D, we were able to add to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their two seventh-round picks were Mac Swanson, a pint-sized forward who is the reigning USHL player of the year, and another CHL defender, Finn Harding.<\/p>\n
Pryor grinned slyly when he talked about Swanson, gushing, \u201cJust a really exciting player to watch. He\u2019s small but he\u2019s competitive, and he\u2019s highly skilled and highly intelligent. So we were excited to get him, especially where we got him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Between the last two Penguins picks, Peters Township product Christian Humphreys was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, a few rounds later than projected.<\/p>\n
All six players the Penguins selected will be invited to next week\u2019s annual prospect development camp, though Vaisanen is over in Finland and might not attend.<\/p>\n
Brunicke, this year\u2019s top pick for the Penguins, said he planned to savor the rest of his draft weekend before he embarked on his path from the draft to the NHL.<\/p>\n
\u201c[There\u2019s] a lot of emotions. Waiting to get your name called and it finally comes,\u201d the defenseman said. \u201cThe next chapter starts now and the hard work begins.\u201d<\/p>\n
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