Penguins' Draft Gambles: High Potential, Short NHL Dreams

0:00It's April 24th. Welcome to NHL News Today, AI-powered coverage of your squad. I'm Cori with the story. The Pittsburgh Penguins grab some promising defensemen and forwards in the later rounds of the 2017 NHL draft, but none crack the big. Leagues. Zachary Lison win 51st overall in Round 2, a top junior blue liner with a plus 66 rating over three seasons. Clayton Phillips at 93rd in Round 3 brought smooth skating in offense from high school and juniors. Lison's career got derailed by a concussion two months before the draft, limiting him to just 25 games the next year before headaches forced. His retirement in 2019. Phillips moved to college in Minnesota, then Penn State, played one A.H.L. game with Wilkes Baris Granson, and wrapped up pro in the ECHL. Jan Drauss picked 150 second in Round 5, had a cannon shot, but managed only 27 points in over 100 A.H.L. games.

1:00Minus Oland at 150th showed two-way skill with 15 points in 61 A.H.L. contests before heading back to Sweden's top league. These guys faced tough transitions from juniors to pros. Antipelo Jarvi, 186th in Round 6, had a brief stint in Finnish leagues before retiring young. Will Riley, last pick at 217th, bounced around A.H.L. and ECHL, even won a Kelly Cup, and now plays in Czechia. Injuries and competition cut many paths short. Drafting deep as a gamble in this, Leak High potential doesn't always pan out, but it shows the penguin scout smart even if the NHL dream slips away.