Like Tomas Galvas, the second of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ second-round picks, right-handed defenseman Parker Von Richter was passed over in both the 2024 and 2025 NHL Drafts, but he finally found a team ready to call his name Saturday in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Penguins traded up into the fourth round and selected von Richter, 20, from the Barrie Colts with the 111th overall pick. The defenseman is easily the largest player of the Penguins’ draft class, measuring 6-foot-1, 205 pounds.
Von Richter will attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall, so the Penguins will have another four years to evaluate Von Richter as he matriculates at the traditional hockey power.
Scouts liked his emerging all-around game, a differentiation from his earlier scouting reports when he was to be an offensive defenseman. Last season, which he split between the Brampton Steelheads and Barrie, Von Richter posted 12 goals and 37 assists in 66 games. He also had 14 points (2-12-14) in 21 playoff games.
The Penguins acquired the 111th overall pick from the Boston Bruins in exchange for the 170th overall pick (sixth round) and a 2027 fourth-round pick (Winnipeg).
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