As the calendar is on the verge of flipping to December, the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. While the NHL team seeks continued success, its American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, has had great success so far, thanks in part to some of the organization’s prospects. Along with that comes the success of other prospects at different levels.
Injuries Hit Two 2025 Draft Picks
The Penguins had three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and they took three forwards with those picks. Included in that trio was at pick 22 with the selection of Bill Zonnon. Zonnon was a prospect whose draft stock rose throughout the 2024-25 season, and there was plenty of excitement about what he could do in his post-draft year. But he has not been able to stay on the ice but for two games for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He missed out on training camp with the Penguins with a knee injury before finally making his return to the ice for the Armada on Nov. 1, before getting injured once again. The second injury he sustained has been deemed an undisclosed one, and he is not expected to play until sometime in December. To say the season has not gotten off to the start he or the Penguins would have hoped for is an understatement. There is hope that he can return to full health and display the form that made him a first-round pick.
Another 2025 pick fell to injury, with third-round pick Peyton Kettles having to get shoulder surgery that will keep him out for six to seven months as of the middle of November. There were hopes that Kettles could help the 2026 Memorial Cup hosts, the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL), be major players in the end-of-the-season junior tournament. He was acquired by the Rockets from the Swift Current Broncos earlier in the season. The defenseman did sign his entry-level contract (ELC) with the Penguins following the injury and subsequent surgery, leading many to believe he will at least be headed to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 2026-27 season.
McGroarty Returns With a Vengeance
Heading into training camp this season, there was hope that Rutger McGroarty, who spent two different stints with the Penguins last season, could become a fixture in the NHL lineup. He unfortunately suffered an injury before the season could even begin and just recently returned to play with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Nov. 15. Since his return (four games), McGroarty has been on fire and has looked great, putting up six total points and scoring in each game he has played in. His overall game and pace look great, and he looks stronger than he did last season.
If he can continue to play at the level he has since returning, McGroaty should easily push for a call-up to the NHL sooner rather than later. After being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets for Brayden Yager in 2024, there have been high hopes for the 2022 first-round pick, and it seems like he is getting closer to helping those hopes and expectations come to reality.
Breakout Seasons Continue
The Penguins have seen a few of their prospects continue to have breakout seasons with their current teams. They have had three late-round picks from their 2025 draft class, all making huge impacts. Starting with Ryan Miller, a fifth-round pick. Miller has had a breakout season with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. He has taken his offensive game to another level and has been great for the Winterhawks. What has stood out the most has been his playmaking ability. He currently sits in the top 10 in the WHL in assists with 23, while adding another seven goals. He is currently on an 18-game point streak. One of the most impressive prospects in the Penguins’ system is Jordan Charron. Charron has picked his game up and taken it to another level after being drafted in the fifth round as well. He has been a force in the offensive zone all season for the Soo Greyhounds and helped carry the load while Brady Martin was with the Nashville Predators.
Related: Every NHL Team’s Standout Prospect in 2025-26
At the collegiate level, the Penguins have two prospects who rank in the top five in the NCAA in points. 2025 first-round pick William Horcoff has continued to be a menace in the offensive zone for the Michigan Wolverines and continues to show that his game is on a great trajectory as he takes on a bigger role for one of the country’s top college programs. His goal-scoring ability has been on full display, racking up an NCAA-leading 16 in just 17 games. On the flip side, 2022 fifth-round pick Zam Plante has been the leading force for the University of Minnesota-Duluth this season and sits tied with Horcoff in points with 24 this season. He has been more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer this season and has been phenomenal.
Prospect Success Gives Plenty of Hope for the Future
With the aforementioned prospects, mixed in with prospects like Mikhail Ilyin, Sergei Murashov, and others who have had the starts they have this season, there is plenty of hope for the Penguins’ future. With the 2026 World Junior Championship (WJC) just around the corner, the organization could see a few of their prospects in the mix for a roster spot for their home countries. The team has already seen an NHL-leading nine rookies make their debuts, with Tristan Broz, Benjamin Kindel and Murashov being three of those players. The future remains solid for general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas and the Penguins.
