Top-20 Penguins’ Prospects 2026, No. 19: Forward Looking More Like Late-Round Steal

It’s officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more – and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system. 

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This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.

Kicking off the list at No. 20 was defensive prospect Chase Pietila, who is beginning to fully round into pro form. Next up is a forward who keeps getting better and better – and who may end up, when all is said and done, being a late-round steal for the Penguins.

No. 19: C Kale Dach

It isn’t too often that a seventh-round draft pick ends up on top prospects list for any organization, as their NHL potential is, typically, still longshot potential at best. 

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Funny enough, the Penguins are set to have two seventh-round picks in our top-20 this season, and both have some potential as future NHL players. And, even if the guy sitting at No. 19 is still a longshot in a general sense, he’s making enough of an impression that an NHL future might not sound too crazy anymore.

Selected in the seventh round (201st overall) by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, center Kale Dach was quite the find for the Penguins and their front office staff. He’s a product of the BCHL – notoriously, not a top developmental league, even if it has improved in recent years – and put together a dominant 2024-25 campaign with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, registering 22 goals and 87 points in 54 games. 

That was enough to get him on the Penguins’ map, so they selected him, and he spent the entirety of the 2025-26 season with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. There, he continued to progress and showed an even higher capacity for scoring goals, recording 34 goals and 75 points in 63 games. He also scored at a point-per-game pace in seven playoff games for Calgary.

Top-20 Penguins’ Prospects 2026, No. 20: Defenseman Continues To Make Steady ProgressLanding at No. 20 on the THN – Pittsburgh Penguins Top-20 Prospects List for 2026 is a defenseman whose growth last season lent to him rising up the ranks.

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There is, obviously, a lot of work to be done before the 19-year-old will be anywhere close to the NHL. He is committed to Penn State University for the 2026-27 season, and time in the NCAA should help with the next step in his progression. It will be an opportunity for him to play against bigger and better competition and, as is the case for other NCAA commits, he will also have more time in the gym to add size.

But, further development aside, there are already some things that Dach does well. In addition to being an offensive weapon who can score goals, the Penguins’ front office and development staff is impressed with the growth in Dach’s two-way game, which is something – along with his skating – that he’ll continue to build on when he heads to Penn State. 

“It’s not easy stepping into the WHL your first year, but he jumped in there and he became a leader on the team right away,” said Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos. “He’s a guy they look to for offense. I think he’s really creative on the power play, and the coaches trust him on the PK. He built his two-way game into something that’s reliable, and he can finish and make plays.

“He’s got to get a little quicker and work on his skating, but he’s intelligent and he loves the game. He loves being around it, wants to be on the ice, and wants to work on his game.”

Top-20 Penguins’ Prospects: Honorable MentionsTo kick off the THN – Pittsburgh Penguins annual Top-20 Prospects list, those who barely missed the cutoff are acknowledged.

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Of course, center depth is a major area of need for the Penguins in their prospect pool. Ben Kindel has given them a brighter future to look forward to on that front, but beyond Tristan Broz and, potentially, Bill Zonnon or Will Horcoff, the organization doesn’t have much intrigue down the middle in their pipeline. 

Dach, like Ryan Miller, is a little farther out than those other guys in terms of NHL readiness, if he gets there. But the fact that he has taken each assignment thus far and run with it is a great sign, especially since he seems to be improving in the all-around facets of his game. 

With a strong season or two at Penn State, Dach could legitimately put himself in the conversation for an AHL roster spot in the near future. Since he only turned 19 in February, there is still plenty of time for him to add some size and round out the facets of his game that the Penguins would like to see him hone. But, if he continues to check boxes, the organization certainly won’t hold him back from earning new opportunities. 

There is still a long way to go with Dach, but he’s certainly a prospect to keep an eye on as a potential riser. Even if he’s not that future top-six NHL center in the making that the Penguins desperately need, there is still potential for him to play a bottom-six role in Pittsburgh somewhere down the line. 

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So, because of his growth and the upside, he earned a spot on this year’s list. 

NHL Prospect Pool Overview ’26-27: Pittsburgh Penguins Trust Youth To Bolster Aging CoreThe Pittsburgh Penguins are still transitioning from one era to the next, but integrating their prospects into the NHL over the next few years will be critical.

The list so far:

No. 20: D Chase Pietila

No. 19: C Kale Dach

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