Three Penguins Prospects Impress at WJC

The Pittsburgh Penguins organization had reason for excitement entering the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships. With three players from their most recent draft class participating in the tournament, there was hope that one of those players would earn a medal. That wasn't the case for any of the Pens' prospects, unfortunately, but there was still lots to be excited about for the future in Pittsburgh.

Yager

The Penguins couldn't be more impressed with their first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Brayden Yager. He made an even stronger impression during this tournament, as he was the second-leading scorer on a stacked Canadian team. With five points in five games, he looked just as good playing alongside elite playmakers as he did playing on the penalty-killing unit. While Canada underachieved at the tournament, Yager did quite the opposite. 

Kangas & Pieniniemi

Finland lost a shocking bronze medal matchup to Czechia, leaving Pens' prospects Kalle Kangas and Emil Pieniniemi empty-handed. Pieniniemi was a difficult player to evaluate. He played primarily on the middle pairing and second units of the special teams, but he registered no points and ended the tourney at a minus 2. The statistics don't paint the whole picture, as Pieniniemi's transitional game shone through despite not scoring. An unknown after the Penguins drafted him was how effective he could be in a two-way role, and he showed his ability to move the puck consistently in this tournament. His breakout passes were crisp and he often used his fleet feet to start the transition himself.

Kangas fared well as a bottom-pairing and penalty-killing defender for Finland. His game is mostly predicated on physicality and using his above-average size to disrupt forwards and clear the net. That is precisely what he accomplished, and unfortunately, that means his offensive game is far from impactful. He had a tough go of it in the bronze medal game, but overall, he was a defensively effective player for his country. 

This year's World Juniors Championship was an incredibly exciting tournament, as the United States captured gold over the host country Swedes. While Canada and Finland left the games disappointed, the Penguins' organization is surely coming away from the tournament with an even greater level of excitement about their 2023 draft class.