We’re almost a week away from the 2026 NHL Draft, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are likely making their final preparations for it.
They’re set to have the No. 22 pick in the first round next Friday night and one player who could be available to them is Adam Novotny.
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Novotny spent the 2025-26 season with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL and had a great season, finishing with 34 goals and 65 points in 58 games. He also had one assist in six playoff games.
He was one of several players to meet with the Penguins at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this month and really appreciated the meeting.
“They showed you your clips, usually negative ones. But, obviously, I think they just want to hear how you’re going to react to “many failures,” if I could say it like that. And I think I did well,” Novotny said. “I think they told me I did a good job, so it was nice. I like my coaches to be honest with me. [For] all the people around, I just want to hear the truth, not walk around something and not be honest. I always appreciate that feedback, and how is that going to get better, right? So, for sure, I was happy for that.”
The first thing that jumps out about Novotny is his shot. He can really rifle the puck, and he’s not afraid to use it. One of my favorite examples of this came in overtime against the Brantford Bulldogs. Novotny came into the zone on a two-on-one rush and slowed up a little bit before unleashing a beautiful shot for the OT winner. The Bulldogs’ goaltender had no chance on it.
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He scored some nice one-timers on the power play from the right circle, and was set up from the left circle as well. Speaking of the power play, he really moves around on it, which often confuses the opposing penalty killers. Sometimes he’d be on the left or right circles, and other times he’d be at the point or behind the net.
Sticking with special teams, he can also play on the penalty kill and had a beautiful shorthanded goal against the Niagara IceDogs. He came in on a breakaway and made a sick backhand move for a goal.
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Novotny also showcased his speed on that goal, which is another strong element of his game. He’s a good skater with a nice first burst and also skates with a ton of power. He’s hard to knock the puck off of once he gets moving.
Don’t sleep on Novotny’s play around the net, either. He likes to crash the crease and get his nose dirty in those battle areas. With his size, he’s tough to move once he’s there.
He still needs some work as a playmaker, but that could come as he continues to develop. He did have some nice plays where he set up teammates for goals, but I still felt his playmaking was lacking a bit.
I liked his effort and compete level throughout the season, too. He does a solid job of getting back to help defensively and never gives up on a play.
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If he’s there at 22, I can definitely see the Penguins looking at him, since he has many of the traits they look for in a draft pick.
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