Just over a month away from puck drop on the 2024-25 regular season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it seems like their roster may be set, barring no surprises coming at the end of training camp. Some players will look to have better seasons than last, while others are looking to build off last year to solidify their spot on the team. Some names such as Valtteri Puustinen, Drew O’Connor, and Jack St. Ivany are just a few players to watch as they could become the future of this team.
5. Valtteri Puustinen
Just last season, Puustinen finally cracked the Penguins’ lineup for more than a single game. Since joining the Penguins’ organization in the 2021-22 season, he has spent most of his time with Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He has been a solid player for the “baby” Penguins, producing at just under a point-per-game rate. In four years with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the 25-year-old has played 177 games, tallying 50 goals and 70 assists for 120 points between the regular season and Calder Cup Playoffs.
Puustinen was trusted enough to be inserted into the lineup for 52 games with Pittsburgh. With an average time on ice (ATOI) of 11:45, he contributed 20 points on five goals and 15 assists. It does not seem like much on paper, but for a then 24-year-old in his first full season in the NHL, those were good numbers. His goals, assists, and points led Pittsburgh rookies for the season. From his time in Finland to the AHL, he has been a proven offensive generator at every level. An upside to his game in his first season seeing consistent game time was his two-way play. His plus-4 rating was 11th among all players, showing he is not far off from their top guys on the defensive end, though it could still use some work. After showing signs of production, he earned a new two-year contract worth $775,000 on May 10.
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Listed at just 5-foot-9, Puustinen lacks size but makes up for it with his quick release. One thing to look out for from him this season is the use of his quick release. His shot total of 86 last season was below the 50th percentile. If he becomes a shot-first player, that shot total can skyrocket, and he will produce more goal-scoring opportunities. If he can crack the lineup again this season and is slotted onto the third line, he will have a solid season that sees his point production rise to new career highs. This season will be big for him to prove he can be a long-term solution and a veteran guy to step up during a rebuild.
4. Jack St. Ivany
St. Ivany will be interesting to watch this season with an interesting story. The Philadelphia Flyers drafted him with the 112th pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. After his college career with Yale and Boston College, he did not sign a pro contract with the Flyers. By that time, Ron Hextall was offered the GM position with the Penguins. This led to Hextall instantly eyeing the 6-foot-3 defenseman to bring to the Steel City and was able to sign him to a contract. His first year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2022-23 season was a rough start. He accumulated eight assists in 63 games during the campaign, with a minus-17 rating. Last season, things turned around for the young defender. In 54 games to begin the season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he tallied four goals and 11 assists, while playing a better defensive game with a plus-17 rating. He earned a call-up to the NHL and played 14 games. Though he only tallied one point on an assist, he was an even player in plus/minus.
The Penguins see something special in St. Ivany as they re-signed him to a three-year contract worth $775,000 a year in May. He is not a goal-scoring defenseman but can make perfect passing plays, even in his young career. That, as well as his physical presence, will be what fans will want to watch out for. There is no doubt he has been doing strength training over the summer as that will be an important piece to his game and keep him in the lineup.
3. Tristan Jarry
Tristan Jarry has been a topic of conversation in Pittsburgh for the last few weeks. The end of last season was not something he needed to happen after already receiving some backlash from people over his play. Up until the last part of the season, Jarry was not terrible. Heck, he was not even bad as he was one of only four goalies to record six shutouts. At some point, it just seemed as though his confidence dropped, and that is a huge thing a goalie needs. Without confidence, a goalie cannot make simple saves, let alone big saves at big moments.
This season, in a way, will be Jarry’s “revenge tour” as some may want to call it. With the Penguins re-signing Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year contract in June, this could be the Penguins’ way of trying to push Jarry harder to be better this season. This could be a season that determines Jarry’s future with the Penguins. The team has a couple of solid goalie prospects in Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov. Murashov is a young, hungry 20-year-old netminder who has put up great numbers in Russia in the MHL and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). I do expect him to step up and prove to management that he should be the Penguins’ starter until the end of his contract.
2. Michael Bunting
Michael Bunting is coming off a good season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Penguins. Between the two clubs, he tallied 54 points in 81 games, which topped his 2022-23 season point total. With just two years remaining on his current contract, Bunting will be working towards earning an extension, which he can sign next July should management feel they still want him. His game can be a difference-maker and a clutch player. Many saw this back on April 6 when he scored the game-winning goal with under six minutes left in a 5-4 game that saw the Tampa Bay Lightning storm all the way back from a 4-1 deficit. He played a massive part in that win as he collected one goal and two assists. While his defensive zone and neutral zone play are not his strongest, he is a threat in the offensive zone. His 47.8% offensive-zone time was in the 97th percentile among all players.
After seeing what he did in a short time, playing a full season on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell will give more of a boost to Bunting’s game. Over the course of the final five games, he tallied six points on one goal and five assists. It is not a secret how well he does when he is planted in front of the net and in the corners. It is something everyone will expect from him again this season. It would not be surprising if he gets powerplay time in front of the net on the first unit, either. His big frame makes it difficult for defenders to move and goalies to see around him.
1. Drew O’Connor
O’Connor, outside of the top players on the team, is the player to watch out for the most this season. He is coming off a career-high season in goals (16), assists (17), points (33), and plus/minus (plus-14). The 26-year-old made his NHL debut back in the 2020-21 season, playing 10 games to begin his journey. Since then, his playtime in the NHL has gone up season after season, all while trending upwards in terms of point production. He is a player who can slot onto the first line on the left side of Sidney Crosby which was seen last season. Should that be where he lands this season, he’ll have to continue to prove he can keep up with one of the league’s best, but there is no doubt he can.
Throughout the offseason, Penguins’ general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas has done a solid job beginning to build for the future without having to move big pieces. He has acquired younger guys via trades and is looking to players in their farm system to earn a permanent spot on the roster for years to come. This season could be a preview of what to expect from the young players and a couple of veterans. These five players will play a big part in how this season goes for the team, aside from the big guns.
