Skating in Wilkes-Barre as an AHL rookie, Harding showed himself as a capable blueliner as a 20 year-old. In 54 games, Harding provided four goals and 17 assists, and just about a hit, shot and block per game a piece.

As the Penguins begin to ramp up their development as incumbent superstars retire, there will be room for their draft picks to earn spots in short order. Harding has the odds against him as a seventh-round pick, and his game is not particularly flashy, but he’s shown his capabilities in Junior and fared well against seasoned professionals as a newcomer in the AHL.

Your league’s settings will determine the level of interest you should have in Harding. If a defenseman who sits somewhere between a Connor Murphy on the low end, and Travis Sanheim as a ceiling has value in your league, you could do well to stash Harding given his proximity to an NHL opportunity, and the extremely low cost of acquisition.

After being taken with the third-last pick in the 2024 draft, Finn Harding returned to the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL on a mission. He took a huge offensive step forward with seven goals and fifty assists, and adding 72 penalty minutes in 67 games. The offensive torrent put him eighth in scoring by a defenseman in the entire league.

He has signed his ELC and is on his way to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL in the fall. Given Harding’s mix of playmaking and grit, if he can beat the odds presented by being three picks away from being passed over in his second draft, Harding has the size and tools to be an interesting prospect stash in deeper leagues.