Scouting Report: Peyton Kettles
Kyle Dubas went out and got a big-bodied, reliable defender at number 39 overall. Let's take a closer look at his skill set and what I think his projection is for the future.
After securing a trio of forwards in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Penguins’ General Manager Kyle Dubas shifted his attention to the blue line and grabbed a big, rangy defenseman out of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos at 39th overall.
The first thing that jumps out about Peyton Kettles is his imposing figure. At 6’5” and almost 200 pounds, Kettles commands a large swath of the ice in front of him courtesy of his wingspan and long reach. I think defensive-minded is the correct category for Kettles, but this isn’t your prototypical “stay-at-home and don’t touch the puck” style of defensive defenseman. Kettles can skate well in both directions, exhibits a lot of raw talent, is comfortable with the puck on his stick, and was one of the youngest defensemen in the WHL last year, courtesy of his late birthday.
We should probably begin with that rawness. For me, it sort of defines the Kettles’ viewing experience. This is a player with a professional future, but he’s so young and so raw that it’s hard to predict what route that’s going to take and what it’ll look like two to three years from now. You’re often left wanting a bit more from him. I’d use the word initiative; I think he’s becoming more comfortable in his minutes and role designation, and you’re starting to see that in the form of increased confidence in his first decision as well as an uptick in physicality.
The raw youth didn’t stop the coaching staff in Swift Current from deploying Kettles with confidence in all situations to the tune of about 22 minutes per game, sometimes upwards of 26 depending on how his night was going. He took the most significant minutes at even-strength against the toughest competition, was a regular feature on the top penalty-kill unit, and (get ready for this) played the net-front of the power-play from time to time. There wasn’t a situation that Kettles couldn’t find a way to impact this year.
I’ve said his skating is sound, and I’ll stand by that. He’s arguably better backwards than he is forwards as far as agility is concerned. What he lacks is a discernible sense of “pop,” or explosiveness, in his stride. He’s agile, can cut and edge well for how big he is, and his top speed is probably a touch underrated. You’d almost expect him to look a little bit clumsy given his size, but I never see that from him; he’s excellent on his feet. Where the explosiveness affects him most is in tight spaces. He lacks that explosive edgework needed to make effective transitions or recoveries after he stops moving. I think it mistimes him in certain situations and leaves him vulnerable to being somewhat flat-footed. I wouldn’t list this as a concern, but it is something he has to work on moving forward towards the professional game. I expect this to come naturally with more time on ice.
The one thing I want to see from Kettles is initiative. When he is engaged and playing proactively rather than passively, he can tip the game over on its head. This involves using his size, which is something I find myself yearning for him to do more of when watching his performances. His gap control and physical engagement wax and wane throughout a game, and I chalk that up to how young he is right now. As he matures, I expect we’ll see more proactive attacks from him in all three zones.
I mentioned he played the net front on the power-play at points throughout the year. It was comical to see a defenseman of his size posted up in front of the net, but as you’ll see in the video, he excelled at it. He exhibited deft hands, quick stick handling, and a high level of effectiveness. It’s not a skill that’s going to do him any good in the future, but it was still fun to watch.
I’d like to see him sneak into the play more in the offensive zone when he’s playing from the blue line. He’s the right amount of aggressive in carrying the puck out of the zone, but a little less aggressive once possession is established. He pinches down the wall to keep pucks in at a high level, but doesn’t use open space when it presents itself to create chances offensively.
Overall, it’s tough for me to watch Kettles and not think of Brian Dumoulin. That’s a real stretch goal here, and while I don’t believe Kettles has a ceiling that’s relatively as high as the top pairing guy, Dumoulin was, the play styles have a lot of similarities. I look at Kettles as a defense-first guy who isn’t afraid to carry the puck and doesn’t handle it like a grenade. I do think there’s upside to his point contribution totals, given how comfortable he is with the puck and his still-developing game sense.
Overall, I like Kettles a good bit. I do think there’s a value discussion to be had here. Kettles is quite obviously someone the Penguins coveted highly, but his consensus rankings had him in the 50+ range for most outlets. I think he’s going to grow into a strong bottom-pairing, jack-of-all-trades type of defenseman. There’s perhaps a bit more ceiling there if his hands and skating continue to develop, as well as the initiative I mentioned coming into full frame. This is a pick I’d have a lot of patience with. He’s young, clearly has a lot of skill, is already physically imposing, and has a lot of time to grow into his size mentally.