With their first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected forward Liam Ruck out of Medicine Hat of the WHL.
Scott Wheeler wrote of Ruck:
He’s a right-shot winger who has good touch, a quick release, likes to go short side and can pick his spots in the net — with an eagerness to try as a volume shooter. His skating is below average, but I’d also say it’s the slightly better of the two and that his motor helps him compensate, though it does raise questions about his projectability up levels at his size for some. He finds ways to take pucks to scoring areas, but can also work and score closer to the boards. He keeps his feet moving off the puck and plays with energy on both offense and defense (including the PK), relying on his effort and instincts to consistently make things happen or get open for them.
Dobber Prospects:
Ruck is known as a two-way forward with a high motor and strong offensive instincts; he excels around the net and generates scoring chances with his aggressive style of play, thanks to his strong forecheck and strong positioning. One of his greatest assets is his shot; he has a quick release and is a threat in the slot.
Projected as a reliable, steady middle-six NHL player contributing on the penalty kill, and could develop as an asset on the power play as a net-front presence.
Corey Pronman:
Ruck is a dangerous scoring winger. He’s a very slick and intelligent player who creates a lot with the puck. His pure athletic tools don’t jump out: he’s not that big, and he’s a below-average skater. He does work hard, though, and gets to the hard areas to generate offense, earning his coach’s trust consistently. Ruck has a path to the league due to his great stick and brain.
Ruck is committed to the University of North Dakota for the start of the 2027-28 season.
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It was an interesting night, San Jose just happened to trade up to pick 21, one before the Pens to take defenseman Ryan Lin. Did the Sharks know or suspect that Pittsburgh would have taken Lin? We might never know, but the timing of a move happening right before the Pittsburgh pick stands out a little bit.
In the end, the Pens stay on target to their prior tendencies with high picks by taking a productive, skillsy forward out of the WHL with their first pick this year. The big question now looks like whether or not the Penguins will attempt to keep the Ruck twins together by drafting Markus. That could be a target for the 39th overall pick that Pittsburgh has, but they made need to make a trade to move up a few spots in order to ensure they can keep the twin magic together.
