The 2020 NHL Entry Draft was held on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 (1st round) and Wednesday, October 7, 2020 (2nd to 7th rounds) via video conference call at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The New York Rangers won the draft lottery with the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators winning the second and third picks, respectively. The Rangers selected Alexis Lafreniere from the Rimouski Oceanic of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the first overall pick.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who finished the 2019-20 regular season with 86 points including 37 regulation or overtime wins, but were eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoff qualifying round, would draft 15th overall out of 31 teams in each round.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who finished the 2019-20 regular season with 86 points including 37 regulation or overtime wins, but were eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoff qualifying round, would draft 15th overall out of 31 teams in each round.
2020 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Entry Draft Selections
| Choice | Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Position | 2019-20 Amateur Club |
| 1 | 2 | 21 | 52 | Joel Blomqvist | G | Oulun Kärpät (Liiga) |
| 2 | 3 | 15 | 77 | Calle Clang | G | Kristianstads IK Wild Kings (Sweden Jr.) |
| 3 | 4 | 15 | 108 | Lukas Svejkovsky | C | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 4 | 5 | 25 | 149 | Raivis Ansons | C | Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) |
| 5 | 6 | 15 | 170 | Chase Yoder | C | US National Under-18 (USA Hockey National Team Development Program) |
Joel Blomqvist |
Calle Clang |
Lukas Svejkovsky |
Raivis Ansons |
Chase Yoder
Pittsburgh selected right wing Samuel Poulin from Sherbrooke (QMJHL) in the first round with the 21st overall choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Poulin scored 29 goals and had 76 points in 67 games during the 2018-19 QMJHL regular season and added 14 points in 10 playoff games including eight goals. He also represented Canada in the U18 World Junior Championships and had one goal and one assist in seven tournament games. Poulin was the 22nd ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.
Pittsburgh's original second round choice (52nd overall) was traded on February 1, 2019 along with Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) – previously acquired from Arizona on December 19, 2017 with Michael Leighton in exchange for Josh Archibald, Sean Maguire, and Pittsburgh's sixth-round choice (176th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – then traded to Dallas on December 19, 2017 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak and re-acquired from Dallas on January 28, 2019 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak – and Pittsburgh's fourth-round (114th overall) choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Florida in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. On June 22, 2017, Florida traded the pick along with the fourth round choice (114th overall) acquired from Pittsburgh on February 1, 2019 to Columbus in exchange for Columbus' third round choice (81st overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Penguins moved up in the third round by trading Buffalo's fourth round choice (98th overall) – previously acquired on June 27, 2018 in a trade with Buffalo that sent Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick to Buffalo – Tampa Bay's fifth round choice (151st overall) – previously acquired from Chicago along with Dominik Kahun on June 15, 2019 in a trade that sent Olli Maatta to the Blackhawks – and their third round choice (83rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Arizona in exchange for the 74th overall choice, previously acquired by Arizona from Chicago on July 12, 2018 in a trade that sent Marcus Kruger, MacKenzie Entwistle, Jordan Maletta, Andrew Campbell and Arizona's fifth round choice (138th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Chicago in exchange for Marian Hossa, Vinnie Hinostroza, Jordan Oesterle and Chicago's third round choice (74th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
With the third round choice (74th overall) acquired from Arizona, the Penguins selected right wing Nathan Legare from Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL). Legare scored 45 goals and had 42 assits for 87 points in 68 games during the 2018-19 QMJHL regular season and scored three goals and four points in seven playoff games. He was also a +37 during the regular season. Legare played in seven games for Canada in the U18 World Junior Championships and had four goals during the tournament. Legare was the 54th ranked North American skated according to NHL Central Scouting.
The Penguins' original fourth round choice (114th overall) was traded on February 1, 2019 along with Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Pittsburgh's second round choice (52nd overall) and Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) – previously acquired from Arizona on December 19, 2017 with Michael Leighton in exchange for Josh Archibald, Sean Maguire, and Pittsburgh's sixth-round choice (176th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – then traded to Dallas on December 19, 2017 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak and re-acquired from Dallas on January 28, 2019 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak – in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Florida in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. On June 22, 2019, Florida traded the choice (114th overall) along with the choice acquired from Pittsburgh in the Bjugstad/McCann trade (104th overall) on February 1, 2019 in exchange for Columbus' third round choice (81st overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
With the Penguins' fifth round choice (145th overall), Pittsburgh selected center Judd Caulfield from the United States National Team Development Program of the United States Hockey League. Caulfield had 36 points (12g, 24a) in 64 games with the US U18 National Development Team in 2018-19 and had 25 points (6g, 19a) with the United States National Team Development Program in the USHL. He is committed to play at the University of North Dakota and didn't register a point in seven games at the U-18 World Junior Championships. Caulfield was the 67th ranked North American skated according to NHL Central Scouting.
The Penguins' original sixth round choice (176th overall) was traded on December 19, 2017 along with Josh Archibald and Sean Maguire to Arizona in exchange for Michael Leighton and Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Arizona acquired the choice from Minnesota on February 26, 2017 in a trade that sent Martin Hanzal, Ryan White and a fourth round choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the Wild in exchange for Grayson Downing, Minnesota's first round choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, second round choice in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and a 2019 conditional choice. The condition – Arizona will receive a fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft if Minnesota does not advance past the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the seventh and final round, Pittsburgh held the 17th choice in the round (203rd overall) as a result of a trade on June 23, 2018 that sent the Penguins' seventh round choice ( overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to Vegas in exchange for Vegas' seventh round choice (203rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. With the choice, Pittsburgh selected right wing Valtteri Puustinen from HPK of the Finnish Liiga. Puustinen scored 10 goals in 47 games with HPK in 2018-19 and had five points (2g, 3a) in 16 playoff games. Puustinen was unranked according to NHL Central Scouting.
Pittsburgh's original seventh round choice (207th overall) was traded along with Buffalo's fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – previously acquired by Pittsburgh on June 27, 2018 in a trade that sent Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick to Buffalo in exchange for this choice, which was conditional at the time of the trade. The condition – Pittsburgh will receive a fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft if Buffalo does not trade Hunwick before the 2019 NHL Entry Draft or if Sheary does not get 20 goals or 40 points during the 2018-19 NHL regular season – was converted on June 22, 2019 – and Tampa Bay's fifth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – previously acquired from Chicago (the Blackhawks previously acquired the choice and Slater Koekkoek on January 11, 2019 from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jan Rutta and Chicago's seventh round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft) along with Dominik Kahun on June 15, 2019 in exchange for Olli Maatta – to the Blackhawks in exchange for Chicago's third round choice (74th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
General manager Jim Rutherford's final draft choice was acquired on June 22, 2019 when the Penguins traded their seventh round choice in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 25th choice in the seventh round (211th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The Sharks had previously acquired the choice along with another seventh round choice (215th overall) – previously acquired along with Francis Perron from Vancouver in exchange for Tom Pyatt and the Canucks' fifth round choice (164th overall) on June 22, 2019 – in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the Washington Capitals in exchange for San Jose's fifth round choice (153rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Penguins selected defenseman Santeri Airola from SaiPa U20 of the Jr. A league with the 211th overall choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft acquired from San Jose. Airola scored 31 points (4g, 27a) in 41 games with SaiPa U20 in 2018-19. He also had four points (2g, 2a) in seven games with the Finland U20 team. Airola was the 130th ranked international skater according to NHL Central Scouting.
Pittsburgh's original second round choice (52nd overall) was traded on February 1, 2019 along with Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) – previously acquired from Arizona on December 19, 2017 with Michael Leighton in exchange for Josh Archibald, Sean Maguire, and Pittsburgh's sixth-round choice (176th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – then traded to Dallas on December 19, 2017 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak and re-acquired from Dallas on January 28, 2019 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak – and Pittsburgh's fourth-round (114th overall) choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Florida in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. On June 22, 2017, Florida traded the pick along with the fourth round choice (114th overall) acquired from Pittsburgh on February 1, 2019 to Columbus in exchange for Columbus' third round choice (81st overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Penguins moved up in the third round by trading Buffalo's fourth round choice (98th overall) – previously acquired on June 27, 2018 in a trade with Buffalo that sent Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick to Buffalo – Tampa Bay's fifth round choice (151st overall) – previously acquired from Chicago along with Dominik Kahun on June 15, 2019 in a trade that sent Olli Maatta to the Blackhawks – and their third round choice (83rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Arizona in exchange for the 74th overall choice, previously acquired by Arizona from Chicago on July 12, 2018 in a trade that sent Marcus Kruger, MacKenzie Entwistle, Jordan Maletta, Andrew Campbell and Arizona's fifth round choice (138th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Chicago in exchange for Marian Hossa, Vinnie Hinostroza, Jordan Oesterle and Chicago's third round choice (74th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
With the third round choice (74th overall) acquired from Arizona, the Penguins selected right wing Nathan Legare from Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL). Legare scored 45 goals and had 42 assits for 87 points in 68 games during the 2018-19 QMJHL regular season and scored three goals and four points in seven playoff games. He was also a +37 during the regular season. Legare played in seven games for Canada in the U18 World Junior Championships and had four goals during the tournament. Legare was the 54th ranked North American skated according to NHL Central Scouting.
The Penguins' original fourth round choice (114th overall) was traded on February 1, 2019 along with Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, Pittsburgh's second round choice (52nd overall) and Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) – previously acquired from Arizona on December 19, 2017 with Michael Leighton in exchange for Josh Archibald, Sean Maguire, and Pittsburgh's sixth-round choice (176th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – then traded to Dallas on December 19, 2017 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak and re-acquired from Dallas on January 28, 2019 in exchange for Jamie Oleksiak – in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft to Florida in exchange for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. On June 22, 2019, Florida traded the choice (114th overall) along with the choice acquired from Pittsburgh in the Bjugstad/McCann trade (104th overall) on February 1, 2019 in exchange for Columbus' third round choice (81st overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
With the Penguins' fifth round choice (145th overall), Pittsburgh selected center Judd Caulfield from the United States National Team Development Program of the United States Hockey League. Caulfield had 36 points (12g, 24a) in 64 games with the US U18 National Development Team in 2018-19 and had 25 points (6g, 19a) with the United States National Team Development Program in the USHL. He is committed to play at the University of North Dakota and didn't register a point in seven games at the U-18 World Junior Championships. Caulfield was the 67th ranked North American skated according to NHL Central Scouting.
The Penguins' original sixth round choice (176th overall) was traded on December 19, 2017 along with Josh Archibald and Sean Maguire to Arizona in exchange for Michael Leighton and Minnesota's fourth round choice (104th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Arizona acquired the choice from Minnesota on February 26, 2017 in a trade that sent Martin Hanzal, Ryan White and a fourth round choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the Wild in exchange for Grayson Downing, Minnesota's first round choice in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, second round choice in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and a 2019 conditional choice. The condition – Arizona will receive a fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft if Minnesota does not advance past the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In the seventh and final round, Pittsburgh held the 17th choice in the round (203rd overall) as a result of a trade on June 23, 2018 that sent the Penguins' seventh round choice ( overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft to Vegas in exchange for Vegas' seventh round choice (203rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. With the choice, Pittsburgh selected right wing Valtteri Puustinen from HPK of the Finnish Liiga. Puustinen scored 10 goals in 47 games with HPK in 2018-19 and had five points (2g, 3a) in 16 playoff games. Puustinen was unranked according to NHL Central Scouting.
Pittsburgh's original seventh round choice (207th overall) was traded along with Buffalo's fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – previously acquired by Pittsburgh on June 27, 2018 in a trade that sent Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick to Buffalo in exchange for this choice, which was conditional at the time of the trade. The condition – Pittsburgh will receive a fourth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft if Buffalo does not trade Hunwick before the 2019 NHL Entry Draft or if Sheary does not get 20 goals or 40 points during the 2018-19 NHL regular season – was converted on June 22, 2019 – and Tampa Bay's fifth round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – previously acquired from Chicago (the Blackhawks previously acquired the choice and Slater Koekkoek on January 11, 2019 from Tampa Bay in exchange for Jan Rutta and Chicago's seventh round choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft) along with Dominik Kahun on June 15, 2019 in exchange for Olli Maatta – to the Blackhawks in exchange for Chicago's third round choice (74th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
General manager Jim Rutherford's final draft choice was acquired on June 22, 2019 when the Penguins traded their seventh round choice in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the 25th choice in the seventh round (211th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The Sharks had previously acquired the choice along with another seventh round choice (215th overall) – previously acquired along with Francis Perron from Vancouver in exchange for Tom Pyatt and the Canucks' fifth round choice (164th overall) on June 22, 2019 – in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft from the Washington Capitals in exchange for San Jose's fifth round choice (153rd overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Penguins selected defenseman Santeri Airola from SaiPa U20 of the Jr. A league with the 211th overall choice in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft acquired from San Jose. Airola scored 31 points (4g, 27a) in 41 games with SaiPa U20 in 2018-19. He also had four points (2g, 2a) in seven games with the Finland U20 team. Airola was the 130th ranked international skater according to NHL Central Scouting.