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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made 45 first-round draft picks of their historical past. As of 2024, 40 of them have made their NHL debuts, with Steve Rexe (1967), Craig Hillier (1996), and Angelo Esposito (2007) by no means making it.
Owen Pickering (2022) and Brayden Yager (2023) are the one two skaters from that 5 but to make their debuts. Yager won’t ever play with the Penguins after normal supervisor Kyle Dubas despatched him to the Winnipeg Jets for Rutger McGroarty.
As an alternative, Yager joins a small fraternity of Pittsburgh first-round picks, which had been traded earlier than making their NHL debuts. Who’re the opposite 4?
Darrin Shannon (Fourth general 1988)
The Penguins chosen Darrin Shannon with the fourth general decide within the 1988 Draft. On Nov. 12, 1988, they traded him to the Buffalo Sabres for Tom Barrasso earlier than he made it to the NHL.
Shannon performed 506 video games with the Sabres and Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise, scoring 250 factors. In the meantime, Barrasso led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and 1992 and entered the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 2023.
Angelo Esposito (twentieth general 2007)
Angelo Esposito was Pittsburgh’s prime decide on the 2007 Draft. Regardless of being a Memorial Cup champion and a prime participant within the CHL, he by no means skated a recreation within the NHL.
On the 2008 commerce deadline, the Penguins traded Esposito to the Atlanta Thrashers together with Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen for Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis.
Joseph Morrow (twenty third general 2011)
The Penguins drafted Joseph Morrow twenty third general within the 2011 Draft. After a season within the AHL, they traded him to the Dallas Stars in 2013 in a package deal for Brendan Morrow. Pittsburgh additionally acquired a third-round decide within the trade, which they’d use to draft Jake Guentzel.
Finally, Joseph debuted with the Boston Bruins in 2014-15 and performed 162 video games with Winnipeg and Montreal. After leaving North America in 2020, he toured Europe and performs within the EIHL with the Manchester Storm.
Kasperi Kapanen (twenty second general 2014)
Pittsburgh chosen Kasperi Kapanen within the first spherical of the 2014 draft (twenty second general). Inside a 12 months of his draft, the group traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a megadeal that introduced Phil Kessel to the Metal Metropolis.
Kessel gained two Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, whereas Kapanen finally joined the Penguins in a 2020 commerce that included Evan Rodrigues‘ departure to Toronto.
To this point, Kapanen is the one participant on this listing to have been drafted by Pittsburgh, traded earlier than his debut, and returned to skate in black and gold.
Brayden Yager (14th general 2023)
Yager was the Penguins’ prime decide within the 2023 Draft and has spent the previous 4 seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors within the WHL, scoring a career-high 95 factors final season.
In August 2024, Pittsburgh acquired McGroarty, who was Winnipeg’s prime decide (14th general) in 2022. He is been scoring on the College of Michigan and was a Hobey Baker Award nominee in 2023-24 with 52 factors in 36 video games.
Neither participant concerned on this commerce has but to make their NH debut, however consultants imagine McGroarty is forward of Yager in attaining that.
Related: 5 Things to Know About Penguins Prospect Rutger McGroarty
Related: BREAKING: Penguins acquire top prospect Rutger McGroarty from Jets
