Brady Peddle has found his way into PensBurgh’s Top 25 Under 25 list, and with good reason. After some reshuffling, he lands at No. 21 as a bonus addition, even though Zam Plante also occupies that spot. It’s a little unconventional, but Peddle’s place in the prospect mix is earned.
The 18-year-old defenseman, born May 23, 2007, was selected by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft with the 91st pick in the third round. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds, he spent the 2025-26 season taking a notable step forward, moving from the USHL the year before into Canadian juniors for his lone season there.
By April, Peddle had signed an ATO with AHL Wilkes-Barre. He didn’t appear in a game, but the experience gave him a direct look at the professional standard.
“It was unreal, to see what those guys do every day,” Peddle said at summer development camp. “They’re pros for a reason.
The things they do, the way they take care of their body and prepare - it was good. Everything’s so crisp and fast.
Everybody plays hard, so it was good to learn from that and watch.
Next season, he’s headed to Michigan State, where he’ll skate in a program that should surround him with several future pros.
What stands out with Peddle isn’t the box score. It’s the way he defends, moves, and competes. Penguins director of player personnel Tom Kostopolous pointed to that growth over the course of the year.
“I think his ability to close defensively, his stick detail and closing quick and his physicality grew throughout the year,” Pens director of player personnel Tom Kostopolous said. “And then his play with the puck got better and better.
He looked good out here in the three-on-three tournament. Nice to see the breakaway goal.
He’s not going to get a ton of those, but it was good for him. And he looked like he was leading the way out there.
I thought he did a good job. It was nice to see him stepping up in those situations.”
That showed up again in summer camp, where Peddle looked assertive in 4v3 situations, handling the puck and moving it to teammates with confidence. It was only a snapshot, but it reinforced the traits that have put him on the radar: competitiveness, size, mobility, and a game built on doing the hard things well.
At 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds, he already has the frame that stands out. Add in the way he gets around the ice, and he starts to look like the kind of prospect with a real pro future.
“I would say (my) physical play, killing plays, transitioning pucks is good. (I want to) just round out my offensive game a little bit more.”
That part is still coming. Michigan State gives him time to keep developing, and Peddle will need more seasoning before he’s ready to do much more than observe in Wilkes-Barre. But the arrow is pointing up, and the ingredients are there for a prospect with a promising ceiling.
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