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2012 NHL Draft: Penguins Grab Three Potentially Strong Defensemen In Derrick Pouliot, Olli Maatta, And Brian Dumoulin

Faceoff Factor profiles the two defensemen the Penguins got in the first round of this weekend’s NHL Draft, Derrick Pouliot and Olli Maatta, along with another defenseman, Brian Dumoulin, who came over in the Jordan Staal trade.

Pouliot might have been a reach at No. 8 overall, but the Penguins knew what they were getting, having watched him last season as he played alongside Joe Morrow. Maatta, at No. 22, was the player Faceoff Factor liked better.

It was a surprise to us to see Olli Maatta make it all the way to 22 overall. We had him ranked at 10, central scouting had him ranked as the 8th best North American player, and the ISS had him in at 12, so no matter how you view it, the Penguins got an absolute steal on Maatta that late.

Brian Dumoulin will very likely get his shot in the NHL before Pouliot or Maatta do. It looks like he’ll head to the WBS Penguins this year, and might join the big-league Penguins this season.

Photographs by dizfunk used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.