Ranking the Penguins' top 10 prospects ... for now
The Penguins' prospect pool will change substantially this summer as Kyle Dubas enters the offseason with the No. 11 and potentially No. 12 pick in the NHL Draft.
But before we get there, let's take a look at where the prospect pool currently stands by ranking the top 10 prospects.
First, some guidelines:
1. The goal is to balance both a player's long-term ceiling and how ready he is now.
2. The Penguins have to actually hold the rights to those players -- that means either signed to NHL contracts or drafted and unsigned but their rights are still held. No AHL-contracted players.
3. As for who counts as a prospect, we'll use Calder Memorial Trophy eligibility rules as always -- a player cannot turn 26 years old before Sept. 15, and cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season, nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. So, that mainly rules out Valtteri Puustinen and Jack St. Ivany.
With that all in mind, here are the top 10, working our way up to No. 1 (with some honorable mentions at the end):
Howe's fresh off a fine season. This was the first year of his four-year junior career in which he finished under a point-per-game, but that was largely impacted by starting the year on a bottom-feeding, rebuilding Regina Pats team. After the trade to the Calgary Hitmen, he had 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games.
Howe will likely start pushing for NHL games in the coming couple of years. He just doesn't project to have a high ceiling. It would be surprising to see him turn into a top-six player. What he can be is a very effective bottom-six winger and really make a difference with his physicality and ability to get under the skin of opponents.
Howe, unlike most members of his draft class, becomes AHL-eligible next season based on his amount of junior experience, but it'll be quite awhile before he suits up for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He had ACL surgery last month that has an expected recovery time of nine months, which would have him back around January of next season. It's unfortunate timing for a guy just turning pro, but still enough that he could put himself in the right spot to push for NHL games the following season.
Blomqvist's first taste of the NHL came in two stints. His first games up in Pittsburgh came early in the season when the Penguins' defense was at its worse, but he managed to show well despite that with a 3-5 record, .904 save percentage and a 3.61 goals-against average from October into mid-November. He came back up in mid-January and went 1-4-1 with a .854 save percentage and a 4.04 goals-against average until he was sent back down at the start of March.
Blomqvist may not have been 100% health-wise in that second stint. After his last game in Pittsburgh he didn't even dress as an AHL backup for over a month with a nagging injury. He didn't have a great showing in Game 1 of the AHL playoffs, stopping 23 of 26 shots before leaving at second intermission with an injury, suggesting he may not have been 100% to start the postseason, either.
Blomqvist has showed promise, especially in his first stint. He hasn't shown enough yet to mark him down for a full-time NHL spot next season, but he'll certainly be in the mix in camp.
Fernstrom wasn't just some throw-in in the Pettersson/O'Connor trade the Penguins made with the Canucks. He was an immediate huge boost to the prospect pool.
Fernstrom was recently named the SHL Rookie of the Year after his 17 points led all rookies. He got more productive as the year went on, too, with 11 of the points coming in the final 19 games.
Fernstrom only just turned 19 in February. To even be playing in Sweden's top league as an 18-year-old is an accomplishment, and he was productive in the top-six. He gained valuable experience playing against grown men in a professional league, something that a lot of players don't have on their resume whenever they do make the jump to the AHL.
It's not yet clear where Fernstrom will play next season. He remains unsigned by the Penguins, though they retain his rights until June 2028. He was in Pittsburgh toward the end of the NHL season and skated at the practice facility, and will surely be back this summer for development camp.
Another year in Sweden wouldn't be the worst thing for Fernstrom, especially given the wingers the Penguins already have in the AHL. Whenever he does make it over to North America full-time, it shouldn't be too long before he's pushing for NHL games, and eventually a spot in the top-six.
Broz had a fantastic rookie year in Wilkes-Barre. He was productive to the start, and could have had NHL games toward the end of the year.
"He had a very strong start to the year," Dubas said of Broz in his season-ending media availability. "He had a really tough case of mono, and then we could have probably brought him up (at the end of the season). I just didn't think that those types of games should be his first recalls into the NHL. ... It was best to have him stay down in Wilkes and come up next year if he can earn it with a legitimate opportunity."
Broz has an NHL-ready game, with his responsible two-way play, physicality, edge, and ability to produce. He's also shown an ability to elevate his play when the games matter most, from his game-winners with Denver on the way to an NCAA title two seasons ago, to being one of Wilkes-Barre's best during their short-lived playoff run this year, adding a goal and two assists in two games.
It's hard to guess what exactly Broz's ceiling might be -- probably somewhere in the middle-six. His ability to play both wing and center should give the Penguins a few options as he plays his first NHL games sometime next season.
Murashov was unreal in the regular season. He went on an 11-game win streak in the AHL. He surpassed Matt Murray's previous franchise record for a rookie win streak of nine games, and tied John Curry for the longest win streak of any goaltender in franchise history. He more than exceeded expecations.
Murashov might be behind Blomqvist in terms of NHL-readiness, and could benefit from having an AHL starting job next season, but he looks to have the higher ceiling of the two in the long run.
The lone concern from Murashov's rookie year was that his worst stretch -- by far -- came when the games mattered most. Blomqvist was the AHL starter for the postseason and Murashov was the No. 1 in the ECHL, something Dubas said was "two massive developmental opportunities for the two of them." Murashov started Wheeling's first three games of the playoffs and posted an .857 save percentage and a 3.82 goals-against average in three losses. It was definitely his worst stretch of this season, arguably his worst stretch in a few years. Even in Russia, he was just never someone to string multiple bad games together. Then, after Game 3 and after Blomqvist was injured in Game 1 of the AHL playoffs, Murashov came up in a must-win Game 2 and stopped 28 of 31 shots. He took blame for the loss afterward, but it was a bounce-back compared to his games in Wheeling.
Murashov's maturity and mindset is one of his greatest attributes, and he handled the playoff disappointments as one might expect from him.
"It's part of the journey, part of life," Murashov told me in a one-on-one conversation after Wilkes-Barre's elimination. "And this feeling is the greatest motivation for the future."
5. FILIP HALLANDER
Position: Center/wing Age: 24 Size: 6-1, 190 Shoots: Left Acquired: Free agent signing this summer, previously second-round pick in 2018 2024-25 stats: 51 games, 26 goals, 27 assists (SHL)
Hallander left the Penguins once, returning to his hometown and previous club Timra in Sweden. He cited family reasons after he and his wife had a son when he was just 21, and he spoke of an "unfinished business" mentality after not being able to win with Timra the first time around.
The Penguins still held onto Hallander's North American rights, and both sides agreed midseason that Hallander would return to the organization next year. He officially signed a two-year deal following the conclusion of the SHL season, and the Penguins are getting back a much better player than they had the first time around.
Hallander was one of the Swedish league's best players this season. His 53 points in 51 games ranked second in SHL scoring this year, and his 24 goals also ranked second. He was one of only three players to record over a point-per-game pace in the league this season. He won the SHL award for Forward of the Year for his efforts.
For comparison's sake, his last year in Sweden before moving to Wilkes-Barre the first time, he had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 51 games.
Hallander may still see time in the AHL at some point this coming season, but he's coming back because he has a legitimate shot at cracking the NHL roster. While he spent a lot of time as a center in his first stint in the system, he was exclusively a left wing last year in his award-winning season with Timra. He's capable of playing both positions, but he could make for some serious competition on the wing in camp.
Last NHL training camp, any NHL time would have been seen as a lofty, lofty goal for Pickering. He was only just turning pro, and defensemen generally take longer to develop.
Pickering didn't just see NHL time, he thrived. He had an extended look as Kris Letang's partner on the top pairing, and didn't seem out of place. Eventually he did come back down to earth, he wasn't able to sustain that high level of play, and he found himself dropped in the lineup before ending up back in the AHL, where he was an All-Star.
"It's part of the development process," Mike Sullivan said at the time. "That was the conversation I had with Pick yesterday. We're ecstatic with where he's at and where he's come from, and we're excited about potentially where his game could go moving forward."
Pickering is a future top-4 defenseman in the NHL. And with the Penguins extremely weak on left defense, and seemingly still in a retooling phase going into next season, it wouldn't be surprising to see Pickering use next season to grab a hold of a regular NHL role.
Brunicke is the Penguins' No. 1 defense prospect, and isn't too far off from pushing for an NHL spot. He nearly did it coming out of last training camp as an 18-year-old.
Brunicke's poise was evident last preseason. He wasn't making mistakes you'd think an 18-year-old kid right out of junior would be making in their first experience in anything close to NHL action. He just looked like he belonged.
The CHL-NHL transfer agreement made Brunicke ineligible for the AHL, and so the Penguins took a conservative approach to his path and returned him to the WHL, where he was a top defenseman. He likely would have made Canada's World Junior squad, too -- a huge feat for his age -- had an injury at an ill-opportune time not kept him out of the selection camp.
When Brunicke's Blazers missed he WHL playoffs, he joined Wilkes-Barre for the last stretch of the regular season. And in a real testament to how well he was playing, they kept him in the lineup for the playoffs on the second pairing, bumping more experienced defensemen out of the lineup.
Brunicke did make some mistakes expected of a player in his situation in those first couple of AHL games. He was learning what he could get away with, what he could do offensively without being stripped of the puck, and learning that he can't just hold onto the puck as long as he could when he plays against teenagers. After a quick adjustment period, he again looked like he belonged.
"It's finding that simplicity in my game," Brunicke told me in the AHL playoffs about what he was working on at that level. "I'm just looking to overall round out my game. But when the chances are there, take them and join the rush and play my game."
Next season provided Brunicke and the Penguins with the same options -- NHL or back to junior. Spots are limited on the right side of the blue line behind Letang and Erik Karlsson, which isn't ideal. Sending Brunicke back to junior, where he could also have the opportunity to push for a spot on the World Junior team again, could be the best option for him.
These last two are really 1A/1B, and you could make an argument for either one to have the top spot and not be wrong.
McGroarty had a slower start to his pro career, at least on the stat sheet. He got a brief three-game look in the NHL then was sent down, and the points just weren't coming. He was getting chances. He was making plays. He was growing the other areas of his game, like his penalty-killing and just overall good two-way play. He just was rarely scoring.
He eventually broke through offensively. From Feb. 15 until March 28, he led Wilkes-Barre in scoring with eight goals and 10 assists in 19 games in that span, and it earned him another shot in the NHL. He was thrown right on Sidney Crosby's wing and second power play, and stayed there because he earned it. He got his first NHL goal in his second game of the recall, being deployed in a 6-on-5 situation as the Penguins were down a goal with two minutes left. He scored the tying goal to force overtime in an eventual win.
McGroarty's stint ended after five games after he blocked a shot with his foot and suffered an injury. He didn't seem to regret the block, either, saying "I had to block the shot!" when asked about the decision on the team's locker room cleanout day.
McGroarty was about a week away from returning when Wilkes-Barre was eliminated in the first round, ending hopes of him getting playoff experience in his first pro season.
McGroarty will be in the NHL next season. He should start there, and if he plays the way he did late this season, he'll stay there, in the top six. He's going to be a major part of the Penguins' future.
Koivunen is the Penguins' top prospect, and probably shouldn't ever see Wilkes-Barre again.
He was one of the AHL's top rookies this season. He ranked sixth in rookie goals, and third in rookie points in the league, and certainly would have been higher on those rankings had he not rightfully earned a look in the NHL.
He made his NHL debut on Evgeni Malkin's wing and the top power play, and got his first point the next game, getting the primary assist on McGroarty's first goal to force overtime. When McGroarty was injured five games into both players' recalls, Koivunen earned the promotion to Crosby's wing in his place.
Koivunen never got his first NHL goal this past season, but it was hard to keep track of how many close calls he had. He was getting the opportunities. But even bigger, he had instant chemistry with Crosby and had a great ability to set him up.
"He's figured out how to play with the big boys," Karlsson observed of Koivunen after a game in which Koivunen set him up for a goal, too.
I asked David Quinn after that game what he think led to Koivunen's ability to mesh so well with the Penguins' top players.
"If you're going to be successful in this league, you better think you're good with a little bit of humility, and he does," Quinn said. "He has both of that. He's a guy that plays with an awful lot of confidence and swagger, but there's a humility to him as well. When you think the game the way he does, it makes it look easy for him to step in the situation that we've put him in. But that being said, he's also earned this opportunity."
Koivunen, like McGroarty, should be in the top-six coming out of training camp next year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Presented in alphabetical order ...
Finn Harding, defenseman: Big, physical defenseman who prioritizes his defensive game but still managed to put up 57 points (7 goals, 50 assists) in 67 games in his final OHL season. Played his first pro games with Wheeling at the end of the year and fared well, and will turn pro full-time next season.
Avery Hayes, forward: His 23 goals in 60 games tied for Wilkes-Barre's team lead, and his 42 points ranked fifth. Feisty and high-energy, but a little undersized at 5-10, 175. He signed a well-deserved two-year entry-level deal in March. Only left him off this list because of the brief sample size of one season.
Mikhail Ilyin, forward: He's just 20 years old but has two full KHL seasons under his belt, and is coming off a season in which he was No. 3 on his team in scoring with 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) in 64 games. Left him off this list because earlier this month he re-signed in the KHL for unknown term, and KHL writer Artur Khairullin reported that the Penguins offered him an entry-level contract but he declined it. The Penguins hold his rights indefinitely, and it's too early to worry about whether he'll make it over here, but there is an element of unknown with him.
Emil Pieniniemi, defenseman: He made the decision to leave Finland last summer and play in the OHL in order to acclimate to the North American game, and he thrived. He had 60 points (10 goals, 50 assists) in 60 games, ranking sixth among the league's defensemen in scoring and fourth on his entire team in scoring. He'll likely make the jump to the AHL next season
Vasily Ponomarev, forward: He had a solid year in Wilkes-Barre with 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 55 games but didn't show quite the same readiness and potential that his fellow callups did at the end of the year. He'll see NHL time next year, he just doesn't have quite the same ceiling as some of the other options on the list.
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THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
3:53 pm - 05.21.2025DowntownRanking the Penguins' top 10 prospects ... for now
The Penguins' prospect pool will change substantially this summer as Kyle Dubas enters the offseason with the No. 11 and potentially No. 12 pick in the NHL Draft.
But before we get there, let's take a look at where the prospect pool currently stands by ranking the top 10 prospects.
First, some guidelines:
1. The goal is to balance both a player's long-term ceiling and how ready he is now.
2. The Penguins have to actually hold the rights to those players -- that means either signed to NHL contracts or drafted and unsigned but their rights are still held. No AHL-contracted players.
3. As for who counts as a prospect, we'll use Calder Memorial Trophy eligibility rules as always -- a player cannot turn 26 years old before Sept. 15, and cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season, nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. So, that mainly rules out Valtteri Puustinen and Jack St. Ivany.
With that all in mind, here are the top 10, working our way up to No. 1 (with some honorable mentions at the end):
10. TANNER HOWE
Position: Wing
Age: 19
Size: 5-11, 182
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Second-round pick, 2024
2024-25 stats: 47 games, 18 goals, 28 assists (WHL)
Howe's fresh off a fine season. This was the first year of his four-year junior career in which he finished under a point-per-game, but that was largely impacted by starting the year on a bottom-feeding, rebuilding Regina Pats team. After the trade to the Calgary Hitmen, he had 39 points (12 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games.
Howe will likely start pushing for NHL games in the coming couple of years. He just doesn't project to have a high ceiling. It would be surprising to see him turn into a top-six player. What he can be is a very effective bottom-six winger and really make a difference with his physicality and ability to get under the skin of opponents.
Howe, unlike most members of his draft class, becomes AHL-eligible next season based on his amount of junior experience, but it'll be quite awhile before he suits up for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He had ACL surgery last month that has an expected recovery time of nine months, which would have him back around January of next season. It's unfortunate timing for a guy just turning pro, but still enough that he could put himself in the right spot to push for NHL games the following season.
9. JOEL BLOMQVIST
Position: Goaltender
Age: 23
Size: 6-3, 200
Catches: Left
Acquired: Second-round pick, 2020
2024-25 stats: 15 games, 3.81 GAA, .885 SV% (NHL), 18 games, 2.84 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 shutout (AHL)
Blomqvist's first taste of the NHL came in two stints. His first games up in Pittsburgh came early in the season when the Penguins' defense was at its worse, but he managed to show well despite that with a 3-5 record, .904 save percentage and a 3.61 goals-against average from October into mid-November. He came back up in mid-January and went 1-4-1 with a .854 save percentage and a 4.04 goals-against average until he was sent back down at the start of March.
Blomqvist may not have been 100% health-wise in that second stint. After his last game in Pittsburgh he didn't even dress as an AHL backup for over a month with a nagging injury. He didn't have a great showing in Game 1 of the AHL playoffs, stopping 23 of 26 shots before leaving at second intermission with an injury, suggesting he may not have been 100% to start the postseason, either.
Blomqvist has showed promise, especially in his first stint. He hasn't shown enough yet to mark him down for a full-time NHL spot next season, but he'll certainly be in the mix in camp.
8. MELVIN FERNSTROM
Position: Wing
Age: 19
Size: 6-2, 190
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Marcus Pettersson/Drew O'Connor trade
2024-25 stats: 48 games, 8 goals, 9assists (SHL), 12 games, 11 goals, 7 assists (U20 Sweden)
Fernstrom wasn't just some throw-in in the Pettersson/O'Connor trade the Penguins made with the Canucks. He was an immediate huge boost to the prospect pool.
Fernstrom was recently named the SHL Rookie of the Year after his 17 points led all rookies. He got more productive as the year went on, too, with 11 of the points coming in the final 19 games.
Fernstrom only just turned 19 in February. To even be playing in Sweden's top league as an 18-year-old is an accomplishment, and he was productive in the top-six. He gained valuable experience playing against grown men in a professional league, something that a lot of players don't have on their resume whenever they do make the jump to the AHL.
It's not yet clear where Fernstrom will play next season. He remains unsigned by the Penguins, though they retain his rights until June 2028. He was in Pittsburgh toward the end of the NHL season and skated at the practice facility, and will surely be back this summer for development camp.
Another year in Sweden wouldn't be the worst thing for Fernstrom, especially given the wingers the Penguins already have in the AHL. Whenever he does make it over to North America full-time, it shouldn't be too long before he's pushing for NHL games, and eventually a spot in the top-six.
7. TRISTAN BROZ
Position: Center/wing
Age: 22
Size: 6-0, 205
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Second-round pick, 2021
2024-25 stats: 59 games, 19 goals, 18 assists (AHL)
Broz had a fantastic rookie year in Wilkes-Barre. He was productive to the start, and could have had NHL games toward the end of the year.
"He had a very strong start to the year," Dubas said of Broz in his season-ending media availability. "He had a really tough case of mono, and then we could have probably brought him up (at the end of the season). I just didn't think that those types of games should be his first recalls into the NHL. ... It was best to have him stay down in Wilkes and come up next year if he can earn it with a legitimate opportunity."
Broz has an NHL-ready game, with his responsible two-way play, physicality, edge, and ability to produce. He's also shown an ability to elevate his play when the games matter most, from his game-winners with Denver on the way to an NCAA title two seasons ago, to being one of Wilkes-Barre's best during their short-lived playoff run this year, adding a goal and two assists in two games.
It's hard to guess what exactly Broz's ceiling might be -- probably somewhere in the middle-six. His ability to play both wing and center should give the Penguins a few options as he plays his first NHL games sometime next season.
6. SERGEI MURASHOV
Position: Goaltender
Age: 21
Size: 6-2, 187
Catches: Right
Acquired: Fourth-round pick, 2022
2024-25 stats: 26 games, 2.40 GAA, .922 SV%, 1 shutout (ECHL), 16 games, 2.64 GAA, .913 SV%, 1 shutout (AHL).
Murashov was unreal in the regular season. He went on an 11-game win streak in the AHL. He surpassed Matt Murray's previous franchise record for a rookie win streak of nine games, and tied John Curry for the longest win streak of any goaltender in franchise history. He more than exceeded expecations.
Murashov might be behind Blomqvist in terms of NHL-readiness, and could benefit from having an AHL starting job next season, but he looks to have the higher ceiling of the two in the long run.
The lone concern from Murashov's rookie year was that his worst stretch -- by far -- came when the games mattered most. Blomqvist was the AHL starter for the postseason and Murashov was the No. 1 in the ECHL, something Dubas said was "two massive developmental opportunities for the two of them." Murashov started Wheeling's first three games of the playoffs and posted an .857 save percentage and a 3.82 goals-against average in three losses. It was definitely his worst stretch of this season, arguably his worst stretch in a few years. Even in Russia, he was just never someone to string multiple bad games together. Then, after Game 3 and after Blomqvist was injured in Game 1 of the AHL playoffs, Murashov came up in a must-win Game 2 and stopped 28 of 31 shots. He took blame for the loss afterward, but it was a bounce-back compared to his games in Wheeling.
Murashov's maturity and mindset is one of his greatest attributes, and he handled the playoff disappointments as one might expect from him.
"It's part of the journey, part of life," Murashov told me in a one-on-one conversation after Wilkes-Barre's elimination. "And this feeling is the greatest motivation for the future."
5. FILIP HALLANDER
Position: Center/wing
Age: 24
Size: 6-1, 190
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Free agent signing this summer, previously second-round pick in 2018
2024-25 stats: 51 games, 26 goals, 27 assists (SHL)
Hallander left the Penguins once, returning to his hometown and previous club Timra in Sweden. He cited family reasons after he and his wife had a son when he was just 21, and he spoke of an "unfinished business" mentality after not being able to win with Timra the first time around.
The Penguins still held onto Hallander's North American rights, and both sides agreed midseason that Hallander would return to the organization next year. He officially signed a two-year deal following the conclusion of the SHL season, and the Penguins are getting back a much better player than they had the first time around.
Hallander was one of the Swedish league's best players this season. His 53 points in 51 games ranked second in SHL scoring this year, and his 24 goals also ranked second. He was one of only three players to record over a point-per-game pace in the league this season. He won the SHL award for Forward of the Year for his efforts.
For comparison's sake, his last year in Sweden before moving to Wilkes-Barre the first time, he had 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in 51 games.
Hallander may still see time in the AHL at some point this coming season, but he's coming back because he has a legitimate shot at cracking the NHL roster. While he spent a lot of time as a center in his first stint in the system, he was exclusively a left wing last year in his award-winning season with Timra. He's capable of playing both positions, but he could make for some serious competition on the wing in camp.
4. OWEN PICKERING
Position: Defense
Age: 21
Size: 6-5, 200
Shoots: Left
Acquired: First-round pick, 2022
2024-25 stats: 47 games, 2 goals, 11 assists (AHL), 25 games, 1 goal, 2 assists (AHL)
Last NHL training camp, any NHL time would have been seen as a lofty, lofty goal for Pickering. He was only just turning pro, and defensemen generally take longer to develop.
Pickering didn't just see NHL time, he thrived. He had an extended look as Kris Letang's partner on the top pairing, and didn't seem out of place. Eventually he did come back down to earth, he wasn't able to sustain that high level of play, and he found himself dropped in the lineup before ending up back in the AHL, where he was an All-Star.
"It's part of the development process," Mike Sullivan said at the time. "That was the conversation I had with Pick yesterday. We're ecstatic with where he's at and where he's come from, and we're excited about potentially where his game could go moving forward."
Pickering is a future top-4 defenseman in the NHL. And with the Penguins extremely weak on left defense, and seemingly still in a retooling phase going into next season, it wouldn't be surprising to see Pickering use next season to grab a hold of a regular NHL role.
3. HARRISON BRUNICKE
Position: Defense
Age: 19
Size: 6-3, 195
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Second round pick, 2024
2024-25 stats: 41 games, 5 goals, 25 assists (WHL), 10 games, 2 assists (AHL)
Brunicke is the Penguins' No. 1 defense prospect, and isn't too far off from pushing for an NHL spot. He nearly did it coming out of last training camp as an 18-year-old.
Brunicke's poise was evident last preseason. He wasn't making mistakes you'd think an 18-year-old kid right out of junior would be making in their first experience in anything close to NHL action. He just looked like he belonged.
The CHL-NHL transfer agreement made Brunicke ineligible for the AHL, and so the Penguins took a conservative approach to his path and returned him to the WHL, where he was a top defenseman. He likely would have made Canada's World Junior squad, too -- a huge feat for his age -- had an injury at an ill-opportune time not kept him out of the selection camp.
When Brunicke's Blazers missed he WHL playoffs, he joined Wilkes-Barre for the last stretch of the regular season. And in a real testament to how well he was playing, they kept him in the lineup for the playoffs on the second pairing, bumping more experienced defensemen out of the lineup.
Brunicke did make some mistakes expected of a player in his situation in those first couple of AHL games. He was learning what he could get away with, what he could do offensively without being stripped of the puck, and learning that he can't just hold onto the puck as long as he could when he plays against teenagers. After a quick adjustment period, he again looked like he belonged.
"It's finding that simplicity in my game," Brunicke told me in the AHL playoffs about what he was working on at that level. "I'm just looking to overall round out my game. But when the chances are there, take them and join the rush and play my game."
Next season provided Brunicke and the Penguins with the same options -- NHL or back to junior. Spots are limited on the right side of the blue line behind Letang and Erik Karlsson, which isn't ideal. Sending Brunicke back to junior, where he could also have the opportunity to push for a spot on the World Junior team again, could be the best option for him.
2. RUTGER McGROARTY
Position: Wing
Age: 21
Size: 6-1, 205
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Brayden Yager trade with Jets
2024-25 stats: 60 games, 14 goals, 25 assists (AHL), 8 games, 1 goal, 2 assists (NHL)
These last two are really 1A/1B, and you could make an argument for either one to have the top spot and not be wrong.
McGroarty had a slower start to his pro career, at least on the stat sheet. He got a brief three-game look in the NHL then was sent down, and the points just weren't coming. He was getting chances. He was making plays. He was growing the other areas of his game, like his penalty-killing and just overall good two-way play. He just was rarely scoring.
He eventually broke through offensively. From Feb. 15 until March 28, he led Wilkes-Barre in scoring with eight goals and 10 assists in 19 games in that span, and it earned him another shot in the NHL. He was thrown right on Sidney Crosby's wing and second power play, and stayed there because he earned it. He got his first NHL goal in his second game of the recall, being deployed in a 6-on-5 situation as the Penguins were down a goal with two minutes left. He scored the tying goal to force overtime in an eventual win.
McGroarty's stint ended after five games after he blocked a shot with his foot and suffered an injury. He didn't seem to regret the block, either, saying "I had to block the shot!" when asked about the decision on the team's locker room cleanout day.
McGroarty was about a week away from returning when Wilkes-Barre was eliminated in the first round, ending hopes of him getting playoff experience in his first pro season.
McGroarty will be in the NHL next season. He should start there, and if he plays the way he did late this season, he'll stay there, in the top six. He's going to be a major part of the Penguins' future.
1. VILLE KOIVUNEN
Position: Wing
Age: 21
Size: 6-0, 172
Shoots: Left
Acquired: Jake Guentzel trade
2024-25 stats: 63 games, 21 goals, 35 assists (AHL), 8 games, 7 assists (NHL)
Koivunen is the Penguins' top prospect, and probably shouldn't ever see Wilkes-Barre again.
He was one of the AHL's top rookies this season. He ranked sixth in rookie goals, and third in rookie points in the league, and certainly would have been higher on those rankings had he not rightfully earned a look in the NHL.
He made his NHL debut on Evgeni Malkin's wing and the top power play, and got his first point the next game, getting the primary assist on McGroarty's first goal to force overtime. When McGroarty was injured five games into both players' recalls, Koivunen earned the promotion to Crosby's wing in his place.
Koivunen never got his first NHL goal this past season, but it was hard to keep track of how many close calls he had. He was getting the opportunities. But even bigger, he had instant chemistry with Crosby and had a great ability to set him up.
"He's figured out how to play with the big boys," Karlsson observed of Koivunen after a game in which Koivunen set him up for a goal, too.
I asked David Quinn after that game what he think led to Koivunen's ability to mesh so well with the Penguins' top players.
"If you're going to be successful in this league, you better think you're good with a little bit of humility, and he does," Quinn said. "He has both of that. He's a guy that plays with an awful lot of confidence and swagger, but there's a humility to him as well. When you think the game the way he does, it makes it look easy for him to step in the situation that we've put him in. But that being said, he's also earned this opportunity."
Koivunen, like McGroarty, should be in the top-six coming out of training camp next year.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Presented in alphabetical order ...
Finn Harding, defenseman: Big, physical defenseman who prioritizes his defensive game but still managed to put up 57 points (7 goals, 50 assists) in 67 games in his final OHL season. Played his first pro games with Wheeling at the end of the year and fared well, and will turn pro full-time next season.
Avery Hayes, forward: His 23 goals in 60 games tied for Wilkes-Barre's team lead, and his 42 points ranked fifth. Feisty and high-energy, but a little undersized at 5-10, 175. He signed a well-deserved two-year entry-level deal in March. Only left him off this list because of the brief sample size of one season.
Mikhail Ilyin, forward: He's just 20 years old but has two full KHL seasons under his belt, and is coming off a season in which he was No. 3 on his team in scoring with 30 points (7 goals, 23 assists) in 64 games. Left him off this list because earlier this month he re-signed in the KHL for unknown term, and KHL writer Artur Khairullin reported that the Penguins offered him an entry-level contract but he declined it. The Penguins hold his rights indefinitely, and it's too early to worry about whether he'll make it over here, but there is an element of unknown with him.
Emil Pieniniemi, defenseman: He made the decision to leave Finland last summer and play in the OHL in order to acclimate to the North American game, and he thrived. He had 60 points (10 goals, 50 assists) in 60 games, ranking sixth among the league's defensemen in scoring and fourth on his entire team in scoring. He'll likely make the jump to the AHL next season
Vasily Ponomarev, forward: He had a solid year in Wilkes-Barre with 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 55 games but didn't show quite the same readiness and potential that his fellow callups did at the end of the year. He'll see NHL time next year, he just doesn't have quite the same ceiling as some of the other options on the list.
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