The Penguins’ recent surge towards the playoffs resolves an important matter regarding their draft pick…
Kyle Dubas, the Penguins’ head of hockey operations and general manager, had wisely safeguarded their first-round draft pick in the trade with San Jose for Erik Karlsson, making it “top-10 protected.” This provision meant that if the Penguins ended up in the bottom 10 of the league standings, they could retain their No. 1 pick in 2024 and defer the trade to 2025.
However, this precaution turned out to be unnecessary. The Penguins ensured their draft pick remained their own by embarking on a remarkable 7-0-3 streak leading up to their game against Boston at PPG Paints Arena.
This outcome eliminates any need for Dubas to make a decision regarding the draft pick. With this development, the Penguins will now miss out on a first-round draft choice for the seventh time in the past decade, unless they make a trade to acquire one. Notable prospects previously acquired in the first round include Sam Poulin, Owen Pickering, and Brayden Yager.
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