After the events of the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins were left without the second-round pick given to them by the Washington Capitals for forward Anthony Beauvillier at the trade deadline.
They managed to get it back - and then some - on Day Two.
On Saturday, the Penguins acquired right defenseman Connor Clifton and the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for pending-RFA defenseman Conor Timmins and defensive prospect Isaac Belliveau.
Pittsburgh subsequently used the 39th overall pick to select defenseman Peyton Kettles from the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound right defenseman is heralded as a true shutdown defenseman, as Elite Prospects raved about his ability to stymie the opposition's best players:
"When Swift Current needed to close out a game, Kettles didn't leave the ice," his profile reads. "With immense defensive range, a physical edge and a nuanced shutdown game, it's easy to see why. A defensive stalwart with room to grow, he routinely shuts down the opposition's best."
Kettles is probably not going to contribute much offensively - he put up five goals and 13 points in 53 games - but paired with an offensive defenseman, he can complete an effective tandem. He was actually teammates with Penguins' prospect Owen Pickering during their shared time with Swift Current from 2022-24.
Clifton, 30, is a journeyman defenseman who is owed $3.33 million through the end of the 2024-25 season. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound blueliner registered one goal and 16 points - primarily on Buffalo's third pairing - last season.
Timmins was acquired by the Penguins at the 2025 trade deadline - along with forward Connor Dewar - from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick. Like Dewar, he is set to become a restricted free agent, and it was unclear whether or not the Penguins were planning to bring him back next season.
He registered three goals and 15 points in 68 games between the Leafs and Penguins last season - with seven of those points coming in 17 games with Pittsburgh.
Belliveau, 22, was selected in the fifth round (154th overall) by the Penguins in the 2021 NHL Draft. He had split time between the ECHL and AHL over the last two seasons, registering 19 goals and 61 points in 119 combined games.
'We’re Thrilled With The Players That We Have': 3 Takeaways From Penguins' Day One DraftDay One of the 2025 NHL Draft is officially wrapped, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were certainly one of the more active teams in the first round.
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Feature image credit: Timothy T. Ludwig - Imagn Images