With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 56 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.
Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.
This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.
(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)
Finn Harding
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 206 pounds
2024-25 ECHL regular season statistics: Three games, zero points (zero goal, zero assists)
2024-25 ECHL postseason statistics: Five games, zero points (zero goals, zero assists)
2024-25 OHL regular season statistics: 67 games, 57 points (seven goals, 50 assists)
2024-25 OHL postseason statistics: six games, five points (zero goals, five assists)
Contract: Signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $$855,000 that begins with the 2025-26 season. Pending restricted free agent in 2028.
(Harding will not require waivers for any assignment to a minor league affiliate.)
Acquired: Seventh-round draft pick (No. 223 overall), June 29, 2024
This season: After going undrafted in 2023, Harding got something of a last-minute reprieve in 2024 as the Penguins selected him very late in the 2024 draft at the age of 19.
And less than a year later, he began his professional career.
After being cut from the Penguins’ training camp fairly early on Sept. 25, Harding rejoined the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Steelheads for his final season at the junior level.
Appointed as an alternate captain, Harding saw his offensive game bloom as he scored 23 more points than the season prior (and in one fewer game). Ultimately, he finished eighth in the OHL in scoring among defensemen.
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— Brampton Steelheads (@OHLSteelheads) November 10, 2024
On March 3, the Penguins signed Harding to his entry-level contract.
In the postseason, Harding averaged nearly an assist per game as Brampton was eliminated in the first round by the Oshawa Generals in six games.
As his junior career concluded, Harding was assigned to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers and got into the lineup for that team’s final three games of the regular season.
In the first round of the ECHL’s Kelly Cup playoffs, Harding skated in all five of the Nailers’ games in a first-round loss to the Norfolk Admirals.
The future: Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has identified the blue line as an area that will need some sprucing up this offseason. And while his focus will certainly be with the NHL club, the ramifications of any refurbishing he orchestrates will have trickle-down effects on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League as well as the Nailers.
Look for Harding to compete with the likes of fellow newer prospects such as Daniel Laatsch, Emil Pieniniemi and Chase Pietila for roles with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Whoever doesn’t crack the AHL Penguins’ lineup at first will likely end up with Wheeling to open 2025-26.
As far as what Harding can offer as a professional, he’ll have to lean on defense. Posting healthy offensive figures in the OHL as an overager is nice, but that production doesn’t always transfer to the professional ranks.
The Penguins found his defensive attributes appealing when they decided to draft him and that will be his route to the NHL as he takes his first professional steps.