If Pittsburgh Targets Forward In 2026 Draft, This Should Be Their Guy

At this point, no one should really be surprised about any avenue the Pittsburgh Penguins choose to pursue on Jun. 26, which marks the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Penguins’ general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has expressed a desire to take a “big step toward sustainable contention” next season, so maybe that involves leveraging their 22nd overall pick for a surefire young NHL talent. Maybe that involves trading up in the draft for a higher-upside player who can help them sooner rather than later.

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However, if the Penguins do decide to stay put, that doesn’t mean there will be a lack of talent potentially available at 22.

Of course, beyond the top-10, the draft always has its surprises. It is a defense-heavy class – especially on the front end of it – and the Penguins are in need of more talent on their blue line in the system, making it somewhat likely they’ll select a defenseman in the first round.

But if they decide to go with a forward at 22, Peterborough Petes (OHL) forward Adam Novotny might just be their guy if he’s still available.

A certain Penguins’ and Petes’ alumni is doing pretty well for himself in the Stanley Cup Final right now – Jordan Staal has goals in all five of the games in the series so far – and, in some ways, Novotny makes a lot of sense for Pittsburgh exactly 20 years after Staal’s draft. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the Czech forward doesn’t quite have the frame that Staal has, but he is already pretty filled out for his age, and he plays a similar style to the younger version of Staal, even in the absence of playing center.

Staal’s Standout Stanley Cup Final Performance For Carolina Hurricanes Brings Back Memories Of Clutch Moments During Penguins’ Tenure Once upon a time, Carolina Hurricanes center and captain Jordan Staal was delivering clutch moments for the Pittsburgh Penguins in their quest for a Stanley Cup.

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Novotny shoots a lot, which helps explain his 34-goal, 65-point campaign in 58 OHL games last season. He plays a no-nonsense, hardline style, unafraid to drive the middle of the ice and use physicality, speed, and soft hands to his advantage. He’s still adding size, too, which should only help his ability to open himself up for scoring chances in high-danger areas of the ice.

He’s also a menace on the forecheck, as he uses his frame to gain positional advantage on opponents, pressures relentlessly and forces turnovers, and thrives around the net front. In some ways, his game is reminiscent to that of Philadelphia Flyers young star Porter Martone, although he compared himself to Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish, who is also a Petes alumni.

But, above all, Novotny gets that he can’t simply rely on his shot or his skills as-is to get him to the next level. He values his positional and role versatility – and he is confident in his ability to bolster his overall game – but he also understands the importance of improving the margins on the aspects of his game he already excels at.

“I mean, there’s little stuff I need to work on,” Novotny said at the NHL Scouting Combine earlier this month. “It starts in the gym, obviously. You have to be explosive in your upper body to have a good shot. Then, on ice, there’s a bunch of stuff you can do. Just, you know, shoot like 300 pucks in 30 minutes on a practice [and] after a practice, and, I mean, that’s how you get better, right?

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So, there is a bunch of stuff I need to work on. My shot, obviously, and that’s something, maybe, I’ll focus on in this offseason.”

Novotny already has the makings of a solid power forward who can thrive up and down a lineup, but he believes he has the skill to elevate himself and be more multidimensional on offense. He reads exactly as the type of player that the Penguins would covet, even as a winger.

And he did speak with the Penguins at the combine, appreciating their honest approach to meetings, where they showed less-than-ideal clips of players and evaluated their feedback. Novotny thrives off the challenge to improve.

Draft Profile: Adam Novotny The Petes’ Czech import will be of interest to teams looking for a scoring power forward later this month.

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“They showed you your clips, usually negative ones,” Novotny said. “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. 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.”

There is a decent possibility that Novotny won’t be available for the Penguins at 22, as his draft stock has risen considerably over the past year. He has all the makings of a pro goal-scorer, and his floor seems to be relatively high for a scoring winger because of the honest way he plays the game.

But, if he is still hanging around, he’s certainly a player worth taking a shot on for Dubas and the Penguins.

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