The Pittsburgh Penguins will select 11th overall at the upcoming 2025 Draft. Although the club fell out of the top ten, it should still be able to draft a top prospect who can eventually make an impact in the league.
Even though some in the fan base may be disappointed with the Penguins’ current draft position, here’s a look at the top five 11th overall picks playing in the NHL as of 2025.
5. Gabriel Vilardi (2017 – Los Angeles Kings)
Gabriel Vilardi made his NHL debut with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2019-20 season and eventually became a 20-goal scorer at 23. He was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets before the 2023-24 campaign, where he tallied 22 goals in his only season in Canada.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Vilardi moved again to the Metropolitan Division and the Washington Capitals, where he set career highs with 27 goals and 61 points in 71 games.
4. Lawson Crouse (2015 – Florida Panthers)
Lawson Crouse never played for the Florida Panthers, who dealt him a year after drafting him to the Arizona Coyotes. Following his NHL debut in 2016-17, Crouse became a pillar for a young Coyotes team that eventually relocated to Salt Lake City in 2024.
Crouse, now an alternate captain with his team, is a nine-year veteran and a three-time 20-goal scorer. After 585 regular-season games, he’s scored 115 goals and 215 points.
3. Kevin Fiala (2014 – Nashville Predators)
Kevin Fiala debuted at 18 with the Nashville Predators in 2014-15. He spent five seasons with the club that drafted him, securing a 20-goal season in 2017-18. Following his stint with the Predators, he moved to the Minnesota Wild and produced back-to-back 20-goal campaigns before setting a career high with 33 lamp-lighters in 2021-22.
However, the Wild dealt Fiala to Hollywood in 2022, and he’s rewarded Kings fans with two 20-goal seasons before breaking his personal best total with 35 goals in 2024-25. Despite 60 points last season, it was his lowest point total since a career high of 85 in 2021-22. During his first season with Los Angeles, he attended the 2023 All-Star Game.
2. Filip Forsberg (2012 – Washington Capitals)
There is an argument to be made here that the Capitals might have kept Filip Forsberg if they had a chance to redo their deal with the Predators.
After drafting Forsberg in 2012, the Capitals dealt him to Nashville for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. In 13 seasons, Forsberg has become one of the top Swedish players in the NHL. He is a two-time 40-goal scorer with five seasons of 30 or more goals and nine with 20 or more.
Moreover, Forsberg was a member of the 2013 All-Rookie Team, finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting. He participated in the 2015 and 2024 All-Star Games. After 13 seasons and 780 games, he’s tallied 318 goals and 681 points in the regular season and 31 goals and 59 points in 81 playoff games.
1. Anze Kopitar (2005 – Los Angeles Kings)
Anze Kopitar is the only active 11th overall pick with his name on the Stanley Cup, twice. As the captain of the Kings, Kopitar has built a resume that will land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame when he retires.
Not only does he own the franchise records for games played and assists, but Kopitar is a two-time Frank J. Selke and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner, also winning the Mark Messier Leadership Award.
Arguably the most outstanding player from Slovenia to ever play in the NHL, Kopitar is a three-time 30-goal scorer with 14 seasons of 20 or more goals. If he remains healthy, he’s got a chance at becoming the Kings’ all-time leading scorer in 2025-26, needing only 29 points to surpass Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne (1,307).
Just Missing the Cut
There were only eight active 11th overall picks in the NHL last season. The three players who didn’t make the list were netminder Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks), who has 16 games of NHL experience, followed by Conor Geekie (Tampa Bay Lightning) with 52 games, and Oliver Wahlstrom (Boston Bruins), who has played 236 games.
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