The Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now

The Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now: Filip Gustavsson’s ascension to NHL stardom

Without a first-round selection, the Penguins made Filip Gustavsson their initial choice at 55th overall in the second round. The Swedish goaltender represented a calculated gamble on a position of perpetual organizational importance. However, Gustavsson never played a single game for Pittsburgh. On February 23, 2018, the Penguins traded him to the Ottawa Senators as part of a three-team deal involving the Vegas Golden Knights that brought veteran center Derick Brassard to Pittsburgh.

At the time, the trade seemed reasonable for a franchise chasing another championship with established goaltenders Marc-André Fleury and Matt Murray. Gustavsson spent parts of five seasons developing within Ottawa’s system, splitting time between the NHL, AHL, and even a brief ECHL stint. The inconsistent playing time made it difficult for him to establish himself as a reliable NHL option.

Everything changed when the Minnesota Wild acquired Gustavsson and provided him with a legitimate opportunity to compete for playing time. Over the past three seasons, he has transformed into one of the league’s more dependable netminders. His career statistics now reflect steady improvement: a 2.70 goals-against average and .911 save percentage across five NHL seasons demonstrate his ability to handle starter’s responsibilities.

The Wild’s confidence in Gustavsson’s development culminated in a five-year, $34 million contract extension signed in October 2025, carrying an average annual value of $6.8 million beginning in the 2026-27 season. For a franchise currently struggling with goaltending inconsistency, watching Gustavsson flourish elsewhere represents the most painful “what if” from this draft class. While the Penguins received valuable assets in the trade, including defenseman Vince Dunn and a third-round pick, the long-term cost of losing a proven NHL goaltender has become increasingly apparent.

The 27-year-old’s success with Minnesota demonstrates how patience and opportunity can unlock a goaltender’s potential. Had Pittsburgh retained him through his development curve, the organization’s current netminding situation might look considerably different.

The Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now: Kasper Bjorkqvist returns to Finland

Six picks after selecting Gustavsson, Pittsburgh chose Finnish forward Kasper Bjorkqvist with the 61st overall selection. The organization saw offensive potential in the 6-foot-1 winger, but his North American career never gained traction. Bjorkqvist’s entire tenure with the Penguins organization produced just five NHL appearances and 65 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL.

Unable to crack the NHL roster consistently, Bjorkqvist made the decision many European prospects eventually face: return home or continue grinding in North American minor leagues. Before the 2022-23 season, he signed with Karpat in Finland’s top professional league, Liiga. His two seasons with Karpat yielded nine goals and 23 points in 82 games—respectable but unremarkable production.

Looking for a fresh opportunity, Bjorkqvist signed a two-year contract with Ilves Tampere that runs through the 2025-26 season. Unfortunately, his first campaign with Ilves proved disappointing, managing just three points in 35 games during the 2024-25 season. At 28 years old, Bjorkqvist faces critical questions about his ability to produce at even the Finnish professional level.

The winger’s career trajectory illustrates a common challenge in prospect evaluation: translating junior and collegiate success into professional production. While Bjorkqvist possessed the physical tools and determination that initially attracted NHL scouts, those attributes haven’t translated into sustained offensive output. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the wide gap between being drafted and becoming an effective professional player.

For the Penguins, Bjorkqvist represents a second-round investment that never materialized. The organization gave him opportunities in their development system, but sometimes a player simply doesn’t possess the elite skill level required to compete at hockey’s highest levels.

The Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now: mid-round selections fade away

The Penguins’ third-round selection, Connor Hall at 77th overall, barely registers in organizational memory. After completing his OHL career with the Kitchener Rangers, Hall attended the University of New Brunswick rather than turning pro immediately. When he eventually signed with the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL for the 2022-23 season, his professional career consisted of just eight games. He returned to South Carolina the following season but appeared in only one additional contest.

Hall’s disappearance from professional hockey occurred quickly and quietly. For a third-round pick, the complete absence of meaningful professional experience represents a draft evaluation miss. The organization clearly saw something in Hall’s 6-foot-3 frame and defensive capabilities, but those attributes never developed into professional-level competence.

Fourth-round selection Ryan Jones (121st overall) has experienced a longer but equally frustrating professional journey. The 6-foot-4 defenseman from the Lincoln Stars possessed the size and skating ability NHL teams covet in modern defensemen. He committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he played four seasons and earned alternate captain honors as a senior.

However, Jones’s collegiate statistics revealed concerning trends. While accumulating 38 assists and 42 points in 141 games showed some offensive awareness, his defensive metrics told a different story. Jones finished his college career with a staggering minus-58 rating, indicating significant struggles in his own zone. The Penguins declined to offer him an entry-level contract.

Jones has spent recent years bouncing between the AHL and ECHL, playing for organizations including the Rochester Americans, Syracuse Crunch, Coachella Valley Firebirds, and Kansas City Mavericks. In September 2024, the Firebirds re-signed Jones for another season, but as of October 2025, he remains unsigned. At 29 years old, his window for establishing an NHL career has essentially closed. Jones represents a player with NHL-caliber physical tools who never developed the hockey sense and defensive reliability required to advance beyond minor league hockey.

The Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now: late-round picks find different paths

Finnish defenseman Niclas Almari (151st overall, fifth round) has carved out the most successful European career among Pittsburgh’s 2016 draft class. After limited North American experience—just two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and various stints with Finnish teams—Almari was loaned to Lukko in Finland’s Liiga for the 2020-21 season and has remained there ever since.

The decision to commit fully to the Finnish league has paid dividends for Almari’s development. Over 178 games with Lukko, he has recorded 68 points while posting an impressive plus-67 rating. His defensive game has improved dramatically, and during the 2024-25 season, he served as an alternate captain for the second consecutive year. Almari’s 60-game campaign that season produced six goals and 33 points with a plus-38 rating, followed by seven points in 10 playoff contests.

While Almari never became an NHL player, he has established himself as a valuable contributor in a quality professional league. For a fifth-round pick, developing into a top-four defenseman in a European elite league represents a reasonable outcome, even if Pittsburgh never benefits from that development. His story demonstrates that not every drafted player needs to reach the NHL to have a successful professional career.

The final selection, Joe Masonius (181st overall, sixth round), has transitioned entirely away from playing. After being drafted from the University of Connecticut, Masonius spent six professional seasons bouncing between 12 teams across four leagues. The majority of his playing time came in the ECHL, with brief stints in the AHL, SPHL, and even Erste Liga in Hungary and Romania.

Masonius hasn’t played since the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. On August 14, 2024, Westchester Express Hockey announced his hiring as associate head coach for their 15U/18U teams and director of player personnel. He also works as an agent and mentor with Advocate Athlete. At 28 years old, Masonius recognized his playing career had reached its endpoint and pivoted to helping develop the next generation of players. For a sixth-round pick, transitioning into coaching and player development represents a mature recognition of his strengths and limitations as a player.

Evaluating the lasting impact of the Penguins 2016 NHL Entry Draft picks where are they now

Looking back at Pittsburgh’s 2016 draft class reveals one of the organization’s least productive draft years in recent memory. Not a single player from this group remains in the Penguins’ system or has contributed meaningfully to the franchise’s on-ice success. The trade that sent Gustavsson to Ottawa brought back short-term assets that helped during Pittsburgh’s competitive window, but the long-term cost of that decision has become increasingly apparent.

The 2016 draft occurred during a unique moment in franchise history. As defending Stanley Cup champions preparing for another deep playoff run, the Penguins operated in win-now mode. Trading their first-round pick reflected that philosophy, as did moving Gustavsson before he fully developed. For a franchise with established goaltenders and championship aspirations, these decisions made tactical sense at the time.

However, championship windows eventually close, and the Penguins are now experiencing the consequences of prioritizing immediate success over long-term development. The organization’s current prospect pool has shown improvement in recent years, but the complete absence of contributors from the 2016 class represents a missed opportunity to build organizational depth.

The most glaring lesson from this draft class centers on goaltending evaluation and development. Watching Gustavsson sign a $34 million contract with Minnesota while Pittsburgh struggles to find reliable netminding serves as a painful reminder of how difficult it is to project goaltender development. The Penguins made a reasonable decision based on their competitive situation in 2018, but the long-term ramifications have proven costly.

The 2016 draft class stands as a cautionary tale about the unpredictability of prospect development and the challenges of balancing present success with future planning. None of the six players selected that year contributed meaningfully to Pittsburgh’s on-ice success, with several never reaching the NHL level at all. Filip Gustavsson’s emergence as an NHL starter with Minnesota represents what might have been, while the other five selections either found careers in European leagues, languished in North American minor leagues, or transitioned to coaching.

For an organization that has historically drafted and developed talent effectively, the 2016 class represents an outlier—a reminder that even the best scouting departments experience misses. The Penguins’ current challenge involves learning from these outcomes while continuing to identify and develop the next generation of players. As the franchise navigates its transition from championship contender to retooling competitor, the lessons from 2016 remain relevant: patience in development, accurate evaluation of talent, and the courage to retain promising prospects even when competing for championships.