The Pens selected four players at the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, one defenseman and three forwards.
"With the picks we had I think we did really good. We're excited about all four players that we brought into the organization," said Patrik Allvin, the Pens' director of amateur scouting. "We really liked everyone we were able to get today.
"Credit to all of our scouts putting the list together. We didn't have many picks, but I think we did well with the picks that we had."
Meet the Pens' 2018 Draft Class
Name:Calen Addison
Selection:2nd round (53rd overall)
Position:D
Shoots:R
Height:5-10
Weight:178
Amateur Team:Lethbridge (WHL)
Notes:Addison led Lethbridge defensemen (and tied for 9th in WHL) with 65 points (11G-54A) in 68 games played in 2017-18 … Added 19 points (7G-12A) in 16 postseason contests … Member of gold medal winning Canadian team 2017 Ivan Hlinka tournament, and silver medal at 2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge … Models his game after Tyson Barrie.
Red Line Report:"Had outstanding playoff run as a key offensive catalyst every game. Deadly set-up man always makes a timely pass or pinch. Looks opponents off his passes, then sends no-look feeds right onto a teammate's tape. Undersized, but he's a tough prairie kid with surprising strength to hold ground against bigger forwards. Stands his man up at the blue line before forwards can gain steam. Balanced skater with light edging and long glide. Stretches the defense with firm home run passes through the neutral zone. Chips puck past men with superb crispness. Pivots sharply to open up new passing angles. Strong positionally in D-zone - refuses to turn his back on the play and is always where he should be. Excellent gap control. Fast to react to game situations."
Allvin's Take:"If you look at his style of play and the way the NHL is right now you need defensemen to be quick down and get the puck up. He's great in transition. He's a smaller defenseman, but he skates so well and he really impacts the offensive game, too."
Name:Filip Hallander
Selection:2nd round (58th overall)
Position:Forward
Shoots:L
Height:6-2
Weight:188
Amateur Team:Timra (Sweden)
Notes:Pens traded up six slots to select Hallander … Member of Sweden's gold medal winning squad at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in 2016-17 … Won bronze medal with Sweden at the Ivan Hlink tournament.
Red Line Report:"Fleet-footed winger has great speed and acceleration. Attacks the net hard with speed, nifty moves and a fast release. Spots small seams and bursts through quickly. Moves well east-west and shows lots of flash-n-dash. Excellen edging allows him to evade defenders and his speed makes him a constant threat in shorthanded situations. Battles hard in front of the opposition net and wont be intimidated. Aggressive in puck pursuit, exerting constant pressure on the puck. Always keeps his feet moving in traffic, looking to steal errant pucks. Shows great patience around the crease to wait out goalies. Thinks shot first, but also shows crisp passing skills with soft touch. Does some very instinctive things at offensive end and creates lots of chances. He does struggle at times in own end with defensemen who pinch down hard - loses opposing D-men who are extremely active and move down low."
Allvin's Take:"We watched Filip a lot during the first half. Unfortunately he had a little knee problem in the second half. That's why he slid a little bit. He's a solid, two-way player. He has those character traits like Patric Hornqvist. He goes to the hard areas and he produces. It was a great year for him being on a pro team and moving up to the top league in Sweden. He's going to be on the Swedish World Junior team in August. He fits with what we're looking for in a player."
Name:Justin Almeida
Selection:5th round (129th overall)
Position:Forward
Shoots:L
Height:5-9
Weight:158
Amateur Team:Moose Jaw (WHL)
Notes:Ranked 2nd on Warriors with 43 goals and 3rd with 98 points … Represented Team BC at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, and named BC Hockey Now Player of the Year in 2013-14 after Bantam season.
Allvin's Take:"He's such a competitive player. For a smaller guy he finds the hard areas and he gets it done. He produces. The way he played this year will show that he has another level to go to."
Name:Liam Gorman
Selection:6th round (177th overall)
Position:Forward
Shoots:L
Height:6-3
Weight:190
Amateur Team:St. Sebastian Prep School
Notes:Committed to play for Boston University … Posted 17 goals and 33 points in 30 games for St. Sebastian in 2017-18.
Allvin's Take:"He's a little bit of a long-term project. He's going the college path. We are intrigued by his size and speed. I thought it was a great sixth-round pick."
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