Pens Points: Draft Day Recap

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning...

The 2022 NHL Draft began last night, and for the first time in what feels like a century, the Pittsburgh Penguins kept and used their first-round selection. Meet Owen Pickering, the 6’5 defenseman taken with the 21st overall pick. [PensBurgh]

Earlier in the day, Penguins fans were greeted with more good news as Kris Letang was signed to a six-year contract extension that will see him retire as a Penguin. His career has been well chronicled and here’s to many more successful years on the blue line. [PensBurgh]

Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley was considered a high-end prospect in this year’s draft. And the West Mifflin native was taken third overall by the Arizona Coyotes. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Well, the Marc-Andre Fleury reunion tour is on hold, perhaps permanently. The Flower signed a two-year contract extension with the Minnesota Wild yesterday. [Hockey Wilderness]

With the first pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkovsky to help propel their team to the next level. [Eyes On The Prize]

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke on the ongoing Kirill Kaprizov saga, being careful not to stoke the flames of a sensitive situation while also telling Russian NHLers to make “the best possible decisions for themselves and their families.” [Sports Illustrated]