Penguins Add 4 More Draft Picks, Trading Up for No. 111 Defenseman Von Richter

Q: Why is a top Penguins prospect taking an unusual and longer path to the NHL through college hockey?

He is taking the college route because the NCAA has newly become available to CHL players, and he believes it offers a better development runway than turning pro quickly. For Pierce Mbuyi, the path is unusual because he is coming from the OHL, where players traditionally were not eligible for NCAA hockey. A 2024 rule change opened that door, allowing him to spend one more season with Owen Sound and then head to Penn State in 2027-28 instead of moving directly into the pro system. The longer timeline is intentional. Mbuyi is a skilled but undersized winger, listed around 5-foot-10 and 163 pounds, and he has said college hockey gives him more time to add strength, spend time in the weight room, and practice more than he would in a junior-heavy schedule. He also sees value in facing older, stronger competition, which many NHL evaluators now view as a strong bridge to the pro game. Penn State also played a major role. The program recruited him early, stayed engaged after the eligibility rules changed, and built a strong relationship with coach Guy Gadowsky. Mbuyi has pointed to that fit, along with the team’s style and the chance to get an education, as reasons the school stood out. So the answer is not that he is delaying the NHL for its own sake. He is using a newly opened NCAA path to give himself more time to mature physically and round out his game before making the jump.

3 articles · Updated · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins · Jun 27

Four later-round picks rounded out Pittsburgh’s 2026 draft class on Saturday: defensemen Tomáš Galvas at No. 54 and Parker Von Richter at No. 111, winger Pierce Mbuyi at No. 86, and goalie Matvei Nikonovich at No. 160.
Two trades expanded that haul, with the Penguins moving up with Boston to take Von Richter and adding the 160th pick from Nashville before selecting Nikonovich.
Galvas arrived after two undrafted years and a strong Czech Extraliga season, leading Liberec defensemen with 24 points and becoming the only U20 blueliner in the league with more than one point.
Mbuyi brought the most proven scoring touch after posting 32 goals and 75 points for Owen Sound, while Von Richter had 49 points across Brampton and Barrie and Nikonovich logged a 1.96 GAA and .939 save percentage in Russia’s MHL.
The four additions followed Pittsburgh’s headline picks of twin brothers Liam and Markus Ruck at Nos. 22 and 39, deepening a prospect pool Kyle Dubas targeted with high-compete players.