Kindel

LOS ANGELES — When the NHL draft began Friday night at the Peacock Theater, the Pittsburgh Penguins had two draft picks. As the night went on, general manager Kyle Dubas increased that number to three with a trade involving the Philadelphia Flyers.

With that done, Pittsburgh selected three players, including his first selection, center Benjamin Kindel out of Calgary of the Western Hockey League.

Pittsburgh was slated to pick again at No. 12 overall, but the Penguins traded the selection to the Flyers for picks No. 22 and No. 31 of the first round. With the 22nd pick, Pittsburgh took 18-year-old Bill Zonnon from the Quebec Junior League. He is a 6-foot-2, 187-pound right winger. But Dubas wasn’t done.

The Penguins then traded the 31st pick and a second round pick to the Los Angeles Kings for the 24th pick owned by L.A. and selected center Will Horcoff from the University of Michigan.

The scouting report on Zonnon is he’s a pro style north-south winger who never stands still and is dogged in puck races. He keeps his feet moving and goes to the right places in all three zones.

Zonnon also constantly hounds the puck, and is very difficult to play against. He uses very good size and strength to win battles down low and along the boards, has an underrated playmaking dimension, and already possesses a pro shot that comes off his blade with exceptional sharpness, especially on one-timers from his off wing on the power play. it’s heavy and accurate with a quick release.

Horcoff, also 18, is the son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff. At 6-foot-5, he is projected by some scouts as a middle-six winger who could be a very skilled big man for the Penguins.

Round one was Friday night, while rounds 2-7 will be held Saturday. The Penguins will have eight picks to make on Saturday.

According to scouting reports, Kindel, 18, is a scoring machine. Following a 60-point rookie campaign in the Western Hockey League in 2023-24, he vaulted into elite status this season, finishing seventh in overall scoring, and was excellent at even strength.

Though undersized, Kindel blends pace, vision and quality instincts, and he projects to be a middle-six winger with two-way ability.

Kindel’s motor is relentless, which makes up for his lack of speed, and enables him to weave through traffic and execute give-and-go’s with ease. A dual-threat attacker, he pairs an accurate shot with dangerous passing ability.

His elite hockey sense allows him to consistently outsmart opponents and set teammates up with creative plays in dangerous areas with time and space, while playing positionally sound hockey off the puck.

Defensively and on the forecheck, Kindel leverages his intelligence, anticipation and effort to win battles despite size disadvantages. He’ll need to refine and improve his skating posture and puck control, while adding another speed gear to succeed in the NHL.

While the potential exists for Kindel to a top-six NHL player, he is more likely to find himself in the middle-six as a complementary piece.