The 2024-25 regular season is finally almost here. After a long offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins have completed their opening-night roster, so where are some of their notable prospects ending up for the season (at least the start)?
G Joel Blomqvist – Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
After a strong first professional season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the organization had high hopes coming into training camp for their top goaltending prospect, Joel Blomqvist. He did have a rough start to the preseason but finished on a high note and seemed to get more comfortable as he played more. The expectation was that he would end up back in the American Hockey League (AHL) this season with Alex Nedeljkovic and Tristan Jarry holding down the fort in between the pipes for the Penguins, but with Nedeljkovic getting injured, Blomqvist could very possibly seize the opportunity of being with the NHL team to start the regular season.
Related: Penguins’ Joel Blomqvist Needs to Seize Big Opportunity in Front of Him
It will be interesting to see if head coach Mike Sullivan looks to the young goaltender to play or if he will ride Jarry to start the season. The likely scenario is that Blomqvist will end up back in the AHL with Sergei Murashov and create a two-headed monster in the net once Nedeljkovic returns from injury, but things could change.
C Tristan Broz: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (American Hockey League)
One of the standouts throughout his time with the Penguins in the preseason, Tristan Broz found himself among the players the organization sent to their AHL affiliate. After finishing his college career last season with the University of Denver and dressing for two playoff games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he came into his first preseason action with the Penguins this season and brought energy and did not look out of place at all. His strong nose for being around the play in the offensive zone and playmaking abilities stood out and helped him tally three assists in the three games he played.
While he was sent down to the AHL on Oct. 4, Broz is a player to watch for Penguins fans as he will likely have a prominent role in the lineup for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He has already made his presence felt in his lone preseason game with the “Baby Pens,” tallying a goal and an assist. He will be a prospect to keep an eye on and one who could earn a late-season call-up or even possibly a call-up if injuries happen to the NHL lineup.
D Harrison Brunicke – Kamloops Blazers (Western Hockey League)
One of the bigger surprises of training camp and the preseason was the Penguins’ 44th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, Harrison Brunicke. The 6-foot-3 defenseman earned the praise of many after his strong play throughout the preseason and also opened the eyes of many within the organization. He ended up being one of the last cuts from the team before getting down to the 23-man roster needed for opening night.
The way he played for the team in the preseason, showing a knack for having the puck on his stick and not being overmatched, will make him a prospect to keep an eye on this season in the WHL. If he can build off his time in the preseason, there is a good chance he will get an even harder look for a roster spot next season.
LW Tanner Howe – Regina Pats (WHL)
The Penguins’ first second-round selection in the 2024 Draft, Tanner Howe, played only one game with the team this preseason before being re-assigned back to play another year of juniors. This was a fully expected move, and returning to Regina for another season will help him further develop and refine his game. There are obviously high hopes for Howe in the future, but for now, he will be helping lead the Pats once again this season.
RW/LW Mikhail Ilyin – Severstal Cherepovets (Kontinental Hockey League)
A prospect within the organization that many may not know much about, Mikhail Ilyin is certainly one that fans should try to keep an eye on this season. After making his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) debut last season as an 18-year-old, he proved he could handle playing with the “big boys” and has returned for a second season with the Cherepovets. Through 13 games this season, he has shown off his playmaking abilities with seven assists. So far, he has earned more opportunities to prove himself, with his time-on-ice higher than last season.
If he can continue to build his game through his playmaking while mixing in some goal-scoring, Ilyin will be a prospect who could end up making his way over to North America sooner rather than later. The Penguins being able to bring over fellow Russian-born player Murashov should give them hope and confidence that they will be able to do the same for Ilyin.
RW Rutger McGroarty – Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
General manager (GM) Kyle Dubas‘ biggest offseason acquisition was bringing in highly touted prospect Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets in return for Brayden Yager. After his standout performance with the University of Michigan, there were high hopes for McGroarty heading into training camp and preseason. It seemed that as he gained more time on the ice with his new team, the more impressive and confident he became.
McGroarty makes the NHL opening night roster after a strong preseason that saw him tally a goal and six assists in the six games he played. While the numbers are strong, he also impressed with his all-around game. He projects to play a middle-six role for the Penguins this season and should contribute with secondary scoring while also bringing some energy to the lineup.
G Sergei Murashov – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
One of the surprise additions to the organization this offseason was the signing of Russian-born netminder Murashov. That said, he was the talk of the team’s prospect camp and earned praise from many people. Currently, there is a strong chance he will be playing quite a bit between the pipes for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, especially with Blomqvist making the Penguins’ opening-night roster. The hope is that his strong play can translate to the North American game and that he can eventually help create a strong duo with Blomqvist at some point in the future.
D Owen Pickering – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
Another top defenseman within the organization, Owen Pickering, has long been considered a piece that the Penguins would like to build around if he can continue developing his game. This preseason was the first time he had played with the Penguins, and while the numbers he put up did not show it (one assist in four games), he had a strong preseason. He was much like Brunicke in that the more ice time he got, the more he settled in and became more confident and comfortable on the ice. Heading into the regular season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pickering should be a top-pair defenseman and could earn himself a spot in the NHL lineup at some point this season if his play warrants it.
Other Prospects to Keep an Eye On
- RW Cruz Lucius- Arizona State University (NCAA)
- F Vasily Ponomarev- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
- RW Ville Koivunen- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
Plenty of Players to Keep Tabs On
While much of the attention will be on the NHL roster, there are plenty of prospects within the organization to keep tabs on heading into the 2024-25 season. The hope is that at least a few of these players either become full-time NHLers (Blomqvist, McGroarty) shortly or that they can become pieces in the future to help the organization get to a high level of success.
