Penguins Draft Liam Ruck 22nd Overall in 2026 NHL Draft

Q: Will the Penguins use their next pick to reunite the Ruck twins, betting on their unique chemistry for the future?

Yes. Pittsburgh used its next pick, No. 39 overall, to draft Markus Ruck and reunite him with his twin brother Liam after taking Liam at No. 22. The move was widely anticipated after Kyle Dubas signaled interest in the possibility and praised Liam as a strong organizational fit. Drafting Markus turns that idea into a clear bet on the twins’ established chemistry, which was one of the most compelling storylines of this draft. The evidence for that chemistry is substantial. Markus, a left-shot playmaking center, led the WHL with 108 points and 87 assists in 68 games, while Liam, a right-shot scoring winger, had 104 points and 45 goals. They played together in Medicine Hat, where Markus’s pass-first style regularly fed Liam’s finishing ability. Their coach, Willie Desjardins, and the twins themselves have both emphasized how naturally they read off each other. For Pittsburgh, this is more than a sentimental decision. It is a prospect-pipeline gamble on a productive junior duo whose skills are complementary: Markus drives distribution, Liam attacks as a shoot-first winger with strong offensive instincts. There are still projection questions, including how their games translate against stronger competition, but the Penguins clearly decided the upside of keeping them together was worth the investment.

Q: Was Liam Ruck's scoring record his own achievement, or was it inflated by his elite playmaking twin brother?

Liam Ruck’s scoring record was both his own achievement and meaningfully boosted by his twin brother’s playmaking. The evidence strongly supports Liam as a legitimate scorer in his own right. He posted 45 goals and 104 points in 68 WHL games, ranked near the top of his draft class in dangerous shot attempts, and is widely described by scouts as a shoot-first winger with a quick release, strong net-front instincts, anticipation and finishing touch. Pittsburgh drafted him 22nd overall because it viewed him as a productive, high-IQ scorer, not simply a passenger on a strong line. At the same time, Markus Ruck clearly amplified Liam’s production. Markus, a pass-first center, led the WHL with 87 assists and 108 points while often playing on the same line. Their chemistry is a major part of the story: Markus created chances, Liam finished them. Even scouting analysis notes that Liam’s strong possession numbers came in part from playing on a dominant Medicine Hat team with elite offensive support, and evaluators have openly wondered how both twins’ numbers will translate when separated. So the fairest reading is that Liam’s totals were not artificially inflated in the sense of masking a weak player. They were enhanced by an ideal setup. Liam looks like a real NHL-caliber scoring prospect, but his biggest junior season was helped substantially by having one of the WHL’s best playmakers feeding him the puck.

3 articles · Updated · NHL.com · Jun 27

Liam Ruck went 22nd overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, giving the club a first-round addition.
Kyle Dubas called Ruck shortly after the selection to welcome him to the organization as Pittsburgh formally brought him into its prospect pipeline.
Ruck thanked the Penguins for “taking a chance” on him and said his focus now shifts to earning a spot on the NHL roster.