The Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect pipeline used to be thin enough that a top-10 list felt like a stretch. Now, thanks to Kyle Dubas, the organization has more than 20 young players with a real shot to chase NHL ice. That depth is why Pittsburgh Hockey Now has expanded its annual ranking to 20 prospects, using a three-part scoring system that weighs ceiling, NHL likelihood this season, and a combined measure of eventual impact.
That system also explains why some names with real talent still don’t crack the top 20. Mac Swanson, a 2024 seventh-round pick, is a good example. The 5-foot-8 forward put up 28 points in 40 games last season at the University of North Dakota and has upside, but his score on potential impact and NHL likelihood was too low to make the cut.
The 16-20 range includes a mix of long shots, steady defenders, and one player who could get a look in Pittsburgh this season.
Charlie Trethewey comes in at No. 16 with a 3-1-3 score. The 19-year-old defenseman is already making noise after his first season of college hockey at Boston University.
A third-round pick in 2025, Trethewey drew attention at the Penguins’ July development camp and boosted his standing significantly over the summer. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he told PHN he’s now around 207.
He’s a stocky left-shot defender who moves well, plays with assertiveness, and showed enough as a freshman to look like a player with a real future. He has some puck ability - a decent first pass and a touch of offense - but his game is built on work in his own zone.
In time, he could settle in as a second-pair defenseman next to one of Pittsburgh’s more offensive blue liners.
At No. 17 is Chase Pietila, who checks in at 2.5-2-2. Quiet, steady, reliable - that’s the profile.
The 22-year-old was part of the Penguins’ 2024 draft class, spent two years in the USHL with Youngstown, then two years at Michigan Tech before becoming one of the main defensemen for a strong Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team. He’s 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, shoots right, and stands out most for his positioning and dependability.
He won’t turn heads, and his ceiling isn’t especially high, but his floor is. Pietila had 16 points in 66 AHL games and added 1-1-2 in the playoffs.
If Pittsburgh needs a right-shot defenseman, he could get a cup of coffee or two this season. The roster is crowded with righties, though Dubas could still shuffle things before the trade deadline.
Pietila projects as a depth defender who should be able to handle sheltered NHL minutes before long.
Finn Harding lands at No. 18 with a 2-2-2 score. A 2024 seventh-round pick, he was never promised anything, but he has worked his way into being a legitimate AHL defenseman.
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound righty split time between Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last season, though he spent most of the year with WBS and played 54 games as a 20-year-old before turning 21 in March. Harding has some offensive touch, but he’s still sorting out his game at the pro level.
There’s more there if it comes together, and because right-handed defensemen are always in demand, he could be an option for Pittsburgh if injuries or trades open the door. An NHL debut is still a long shot, but he’s on the radar.
Quinn Beauchesne sits at No. 19 with a 2-1-2.5 mark. The fifth-round pick from the Penguins’ 2025 draft class had to jump into pro hockey in the AHL playoffs because Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was hit hard by injuries.
The 6-foot, 187-pound right-shot defenseman has a tougher road than some of the others on this list, but he brings a physical edge and doesn’t back away from the puck. Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said, “I don’t know if another prospect in our organization grew as much as he did during the season last year,” and added, “It was great to see.
You could see him mature as a leader, as an individual, and really take ownership of his career and development. I’m really happy with him.
He’s an underrated player. He’s got snarl to his game.
He’ll stick up for his teammates. He’s got a nasty edge.
There’s something there.” That “something” is enough to keep him in the conversation, even if he’s still at least a year away - and maybe two - from any real NHL role.
Tommy Galvas rounds out the group at No. 20 with a 2-1-2. The 20-year-old was the Penguins’ second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, taken 54th overall after being passed over in his first two draft-eligible years.
He’s a right-handed offensive defenseman who made a splash at the 2025 World Junior Championships with 3-6-9, but he’s still undersized and has a lot of development ahead of him. His upside is that of a third-pairing defenseman who can chip in points.
Galvas will stay in the Czechia league this season and is expected to move to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next season. His NHL debut is at least two years away.
In Other News...
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The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have been busy lining up more than just a little organizational depth, adding defenseman Brent Johnson and forwards Lucas Ciona and Mark Senden on American Hockey League contracts for the 2026-27 season. It is the sort of move that rarely makes noise on its own, but these are the kinds of players that can matter when the system is being built with an eye on both the minors and the NHL pipeline.
Johnson is coming off a strong rookie year in the ECHL and is still early in his pro career, while Ciona brings a championship background from the WHL and a draft pedigree from Calgary. Senden adds a different layer as a veteran with multiple titles at different levels, giving WBS a mix of upside, experience and organizational stability as it continues to stock the roster for what could eventually ripple upward to Pittsburgh. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Penguins, the most relevant name on that list is Nicholas Robertson, who is scheduled for a hearing on July 28. His case sits inside a broader league-wide stretch that can still reshape roster plans before training camp, especially with the possibility of late agreements and the ripple effects that follow once every arbitration case is resolved. There is also a second buyout window waiting on the other side of all this, which only adds another layer to a summer that still has some unfinished business. [Read more 🡒]