Kettles signed a three-year entry level contract with the Penguins on Nov. 24.

Kettles is undeniably a defense-minded defenseman. He stands at 6-6 and does a great job at limiting rush chances for opponents. He has a big, active stick and engages players along the boards to jam up offensive zone time. Kettles may not be like Letang in terms of offensive production, but he could bring a lot of value as a shutdown, right-handed defenseman. Additionally, he is still just 17 years old, meaning he has a lot of developmental runway left before we see his final player form.

Selected at thirty-ninth overall, Peyton Kettles is now a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

June—A very big and very young defender, Kettles wrapped up his second WHL season with some modest scoring improvement. Though still not enough to indicate some untapped offensive upside, Kettles still has a solid shot at the NHL because of his defensive upside.

At the moment, his defensive game is just that: upside. He’s 6-5 and rangy, is decent on his skates, and can kill plays along the walls when he times things correctly. Although, all too frequently he retreats rather than denying, mis-times his reads, and forces the puck out of the zone without control.

Because of his reach and his age (only a few weeks away from being eligible for the 2026 Draft) Kettles does have huge upside.