Pittsburgh Penguins’ Top 15 Prospects: 2025-26 Preseason Edition

F Mac Swanson: After being one of the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) top scorers during the 2023-24 season, Swanson made the jump to the college ranks last season, playing at the University of North Dakota. His size, which has constantly been brought up as a downfall (he stands 5-foot-7 and is 165 pounds), seemed to stick out even more. He did put up 18 points in his freshman season, but his shooting percentage was very low, scoring twice on 26 shots (7% shooting percentage). If he can somehow at least bulk up and get his offensive game rolling in his sophomore season, he could find his way back into the top 15 of these rankings.

15. RW Melvin Fernström – 2024 Third Round, 93rd Overall (Vancouver Canucks)

2024-25 stats: Örebo HK (J20 Nationell)- 12 games played, 11 goals, seven assists, 18 points
Örebo HK (Swedish Hockey League)- 48 games played, eight goals, nine assists, 17 points

One of the pieces that Dubas acquired in the Marcus Pettersson trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 1, Melvin Fernström, is an intriguing prospect in the Penguins’ system. He has yet to fully reach a breakout point in his game, but has been able to produce at a strong rate both at the J20 Nationell (will be known as U20 Nationell this season) and the SHL level. In the 48 games he played at the SHL level, only three players under the age of 20 recorded more points. This included two first-round picks in Axel Sandin-Pellikka (2023) and David Edstrom (2023).

Fernström’s overall game is fundamentally sound, relying on his pure hockey instincts on the defensive side of the puck to read the play well and put himself in a good position to transition to an offensive chance. When he does have the puck on his stick, he does not possess the strongest shot, but it is very accurate. If he can hit the next step in his development and break out this upcoming season for Örebko HK, he could continue to rise in the system and garner even more attention from upper management.

14. D Joona Väisänen – 2024 Sixth Round, 175th Overall

2024-25 stats: Western Michigan University (NCAA): 42 games played, four goals, 22 assists, 26 points

Making the move to the college ranks after a strong season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, Joona Väisänen continued to show he could end up being a steal for the Penguins after selecting him in the sixth round of the 2024 Draft. He made an immediate impact for the 2025 National Champion Western Michigan University Broncos. While not being the most physically imposing defenseman, Väisänen relies on his footwork, stick work, and overall hockey IQ defensively to play a strong, shutdown style of defense.

Väisänen is a player who seems to use the fact that he had been passed up twice in the draft (his original draft year was in 2022) as ammunition to prove everyone wrong. He plays with a high compete level and is a prospect who is a “late bloomer”. He has good offensive skill to go with his defense, relying on his aforementioned hockey IQ, vision, and strong playmaking to lead rushes and be a setup man from the point in the offensive zone. The further development of Väisänen will be watched closely as he looks to continue proving the doubters wrong.

13. LW Tanner Howe – 2024 Second Round, 46th Overall

2024-25 stats: Regina Pats (Western Hockey League): 10 games played, six goals, one assist, seven points
Calgary Hitmen (WHL): 37 games played, 12 goals, 27 assists, 39 points

After being drafted in 2024, there were hopes that Tanner Howe could become a piece that could be a top-six fixture for the Penguins in the future. But a mix of injuries and a lack of major development in his game have led to the slip in his ranking heading into this season. A torn ACL toward the end of last season will keep him out likely until the end of the 2025 calendar year. He will likely head to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton upon his recovery.

Howe did find himself being traded from Regina to Calgary early on in the season, and he was not necessarily tasked with carrying the load on a strong Hitmen team, but his game has just not been able to take that next step that many have hoped it would to this point. He still shows signs of being a player who can make a difference with his work ethic and non-stop motor, but there needs to be overall development in his game. If he can come back from the torn ACL and fit in well at the professional level, there is a strong chance he could find himself climbing back up the rankings.

12. D Finn Harding – 2024 Seventh Round, 223rd Overall

2024-25 stats: Brampton Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League): 67 games played, seven goals, 50 assists, 57 points
Wheeling Nailers (ECHL): Three games played, zero points

One of a few players in the Penguins’ system whose game really went to the next level was 2024 seventh-round pick Finn Harding. He was already a strong defensive defenseman when the Penguins took him, but he took his offensive game to another level last season with the Brampton Steelheads. He may not have reached the double-digit goal total, but his overall offensive output was great. He helped lead the power play from the “quarterback” spot, as well as looking more comfortable leading rushes from his own end of the ice.

Harding’s development and strong play ended with him signing his entry-level contract (ELC) with the organization on March 8 and spending time with the Wheeling Nailers, the Penguins’ ECHL affiliate. While he did not register a point in the three games he played, he did settle in well and adjusted to the professional game. Being 20 years old, there is a chance he could make the jump full-time to the ECHL this season. He will be a prospect who may take longer to get to the NHL level, but he has the potential to make an impact.

11. C Bill Zonnon – 2025 First Round, 22nd Overall

2024-25 stats: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League): 64 games played, 28 goals, 55 assists, 83 points

A player who turned heads with his development and play in his draft season last season, Bill Zonnon shot up draft rankings before being picked by the Penguins at the tail end of the first round of this year’s draft. The big forward made the full-time move to playing center for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and looked good in doing so. He plays a power forward style of game, as he is not afraid of doing the dirty work and going into the dirty areas to make a play. But to go along with that comes the fact that he has great skating ability and gets moving down the ice very well.

Zonnon’s overall offensive game made him a first-round pick, but he needs to develop more in his defensive game. If he can do so, he could become a player who makes a strong impact at the NHL level in the future. After being traded this offseason, he will suit up for Blainville-Boisbriand for the 2025-26 season.

10. W Mikhail Ilyin – 2023 Fifth Round, 142nd Overall

2024-25 stats: Severstal Cherepovets (KHL): 64 games played, seven goals, 23 assists, 30 points
Almaz Cherepovets (MHL): Two games played, zero goals, four assists, four points

Another intriguing prospect within the Penguins’ system, Mikhail Ilyin, has the tools to become a late-round steal from the 2023 Draft. Penguins fans got their first glimpse at the Russian-born winger this year at the team’s development camp after he signed his ELC on May 31. Ilyin has the offensive game to be either a playmaker or a goal-scorer, and his development will be watched even more carefully this upcoming season as he will be spending one more season in the KHL before making his way to North American hockey for the 2026-27 season.

The biggest downside to Ilyin’s game is the pace at which he plays. Once he transitions to the North American game, he will need to adjust to playing at a faster pace, and this will be one of the biggest factors in what kind of impact he can truly have in the long term for the organization.

9. C Tristan Broz – 2021 Second Round, 58th Overall

2024-25 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (American Hockey League): 59 games played, 19 goals, 18 assists, 37 points

In his first professional season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Tristan Broz put his full game on display. He plays with a non-stop motor that makes him a pest to play against at both ends of the ice. Defensively, he finds himself in the right place at the right time and turns his defensive efforts into offensive rushes and chances. He has a strong enough shot to be impactful in the goal-scoring department, having just over a 16.5% shooting percentage last season.

His all-around two-way game and skating abilities, tied in with his offensive skillset, make him a prospect who, if his development continues on the right trajectory, can end up making his way to the Penguins’ lineup sooner rather than later. He may not end up being a top-line forward, but he has the upside to be a difference maker in the middle six and on a power-play unit (scored six power-play goals last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, second most on the team).

8. D Emil Pieniniemi – 2023 Third Round, 93rd Overall

2024-25 stats: Kingston Frontenacs (OHL): 60 games played, 10 goals, 50 assists, 60 points

Like Harding, Emil Pieniniemi’s offensive game took a big jump, and he made a strong adjustment to the North American style of play after being picked by the Kingston Frontenacs in the 2024 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. The big-bodied defenseman shows great poise at both ends of the ice, with and without the puck on his stick. With the puck on his stick, he makes strong and quick decisions to help start or lead a rush into the offensive zone, and without the puck defensively, he shows good awareness and vision of what is happening in front of him to position himself well.

After a solid showing representing his home country of Finland at the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC), Pieniniemi showed his ability to play in any situation for the Frontenacs, whether it be five-on-five or on special teams. He led a strong Frontenacs power play, with 26 assists on the man-advantage thanks to his smooth puck decisions and vision from the point. He is another player at the age of 20 who could make the jump to the professional ranks this season, whether it be in the AHL or ECHL. His development could help lead him to further become a staple in the young defensive core that Dubas and the Penguins management have started to put together.

7. D Owen Pickering- 2022 First Round, 21st Overall

2024-25 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 47 games played, two goals, 11 assists, 13 points
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL): 25 games played, one goal, two assists, three points

The first prospect who made his NHL debut last season and played 25 games for the Penguins, Owen Pickering, made himself look right at home in the aforementioned games he dressed in. The offensive numbers may not have stuck out the most (three points), but his defensive game did not lack. He showed great poise, but in the offensive zone, to keep pucks in or stop a rush from happening, and on rushes. His one-on-one defense was very strong, thanks to his skating ability to take away lanes and angles to the net for his opponents. He plays a very mature and poised game from the backend of the ice, which is something that the team sorely needs going forward.

After registering his first NHL point, an assist, in his debut on Nov. 16, Pickering was in the lineup constantly until he suffered a concussion (four games missed), and was eventually sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to finish the season. He earned more playing time, and his play also earned him AHL All-Star honors. With a crowded defensive unit at the NHL level heading into the season, he may be fighting an uphill battle to make the team out of training camp.

6. G Joel Blomqvist – 2020 Second Round, 52nd Overall

2024-25 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 18 games played, 8-7-4 record, 2.84 goals-against average (GAA), .914 save percentage (SV%), one shutout
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL): 15 games played, 4-9-1 record, 3.81 GAA, .885 SV%

Had it not been for the development and play of Sergei Murashov, Joel Blomqvist would still be the top-ranked goaltender in these rankings. Blomqvist made the Penguins’ roster out of camp last season in part due to Alex Nedeljkovic being injured. In the 15 games he played at the NHL level, he did struggle at times and showed he still has a way to go to become a full-fledged starter, but it also did not help that he had a defense in front of him that struggled just as much as he did at times.

Overall, Blomqvist continued to show his smooth play in the crease and that he has the potential to be an NHL-caliber netminder; it may just take some added development and time (as is the case with most goaltenders). His numbers were down a bit with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton compared to the 2023-24 season, but he was still strong. With the addition of Arturs Silvos into the organization after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, the goaltender position is becoming a crowded one for the Penguins, and this season could prove to be a crucial one for Blomqvist.

5. D Harrison Brunicke – 2024 Second Round, 44th Overall

2024-25 stats: Kamloops Blazers (WHL): 41 games played, five goals, 25 assists, 30 points
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 10 games played, zero goals, two assists, two points

The surprise player from last year’s training camp and preseason, Harrison Brunicke, carried that momentum and play into his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. On a weak Blazers roster, Brunicke was one of the brighter spots for the team. The development of his all-around game continued on a strong trajectory, with his offense beginning to catch up a bit with the defensive game he plays. On the offensive side of the puck, he has become more of a threat from the point, showing strong activation skills thanks in part to his skating and decision-making. Defensively, he is hard to play against as an opponent. He has no problem throwing his weight around when he is given the chance and makes the smart play more than he does not.

If he can have a strong camp again this season, there is no reason not to believe that he has a good chance of sticking at the AHL level to get even more experience and confidence at the professional level after spending 10 regular-season games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after his junior season concluded last season.

4. C Benjamin Kindel – 2025 First Round, 11th Overall

2024-25 stats: Calgary Hitmen (WHL): 65 games played, 35 goals, 64 assists, 99 points

The top pick from this year’s draft class for the organization, Benjamin Kindel, may have been a bit of a surprise selection at 11th overall, but there is plenty to like about his game. He was one of the draft class’s most productive players, tallying 99 points in 65 games with the Calgary Hitmen, and plays bigger than his size leads on (5-foot-11, 181 pounds). Kindel has no issue with making or taking a hit to make a play on top of going to the dirty areas of the ice. His non-stop work ethic and motor make him a threat at both ends of the ice, and he is constantly looking to make the right play.

Kindel’s numbers may suggest that he is just a playmaker, but he has a strong shot that makes him a threat to be a goal-scorer or a set-up guy. He is lethal from mid-range and has elite playmaking and passing abilities. A player that Dubas and the Penguins organization likely saw plenty of, having played alongside Tanner Howe, Kindel has the potential to become a top-six forward for the Penguins in the near future. The biggest knock is his size, which is something that can be built upon to make him even more of a threat and a strong all-around player.

3. G Sergei Murashov – 2022 Fourth Round, 118th Overall

2024-25 stats: Wheeling Nailers (ECHL): 26 games played, 17-7-1 record, 2.40 GAA, .922 SV%, one shutout
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 15 games played, 12-3-0 record, 2.64 GAA, .913 SV%, one shutout

The player who seemed to catch the attention the most amongst Penguins prospects last season was goaltender Sergei Murashov. From his signing of his ELC before development camp to the way he performed at the ECHL and AHL levels, Murashov garnered plenty of attention and praise. He has overtaken the number one goaltender spot prospect-wise from Blomqvist, thanks to superb play in his first season of North American hockey.

When on his game, he is fundamentally sound in the crease and is a very smooth mover. Even when it looks like he is out of position and the opponent has a grade-A scoring chance, he has the athleticism and ability to make a sprawling save or recover quickly enough to make a big-time save. There were plenty of highlight reel saves he made last season that kept fans excited and wanting more. If he can build off his strong rookie professional season, which saw him set a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton franchise record of 10 straight wins, there is a strong chance he could progress through the ranks rather quickly. The 2022 fourth-round pick has proven to be a winner wherever he is playing, and hopefully, that trend can continue with further development and experience.

2. C/W Rutger McGroarty – 2022 First Round, 14th Overall (Winnipeg Jets)

2024-25 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 60 games played, 14 goals, 25 assists, 39 points
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL): Three games played, one goal, two assists, three points

Making the Penguins’ roster for opening night last season, Rutger McGroarty struggled a bit out of the gates and ended up being sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton early on. His slow start continued at the AHL level, but as the season progressed, so did his offensive production. Even when he was struggling to put points up, McGroarty constantly showed he could make the little plays happen that gave hope that he could get himself going offensively, and he did. In his first full professional season, the 2022 first-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets proved that he can play away from the puck as well as he can with it. He plays a strong two-way game that helps lead him to being effective both in five-on-five situations and special teams (he played both on the power play and penalty kill for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton).

He did earn another call-up toward the end of last season and looked more confident in his game, and with another full summer around the organization, McGroarty could be looking to make a push for the opening night roster once again, but this time looking to stick around for good.

1. C/W Ville Koivunen- 2021 Second Round, 51st Overall (Carolina Hurricanes)

2024-25 stats: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL): 63 games played, 21 goals, 35 assists, 56 points
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL): Eight games played, zero goals, seven assists, seven points

Overtaking McGroarty at the number one spot is a piece that Dubas acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade with the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 Trade Deadline, Ville Koivunen. The biggest reason for Koivunen taking the number one spot is that he played a full season at a consistent level, both offensively and defensively. In his rookie season at the AHL level, he found himself sitting third amongst all rookies in points and was a constant presence for the Penguins’ AHL affiliate. Like McGroarty, Koivunen plays a strong two-way game that makes him a threat at either end of the ice. He possesses high-end talent with and without the puck, where he is constantly looking to get himself open or scanning the ice for an open teammate.

On a handful of occasions last season, he showed that he has the ability to take over a game when he wants to, and his overall play also helped lead him to a call-up toward the end of the season. In the short time he was in the Penguins’ lineup, he seemingly built strong chemistry alongside Sidney Crosby and did not look out of place in the NHL lineup. There is a good chance that Koivunen will be pushing not just for a spot on the opening night roster this season, but for a top-six spot in it if he has a strong camp and preseason.

Final Word

Dubas and his staff have continued to work hard at putting together a strong farm system. With the pieces they currently have in tow, along with the draft capital they have for the upcoming drafts, the future looks bright for the Penguins. They already have prospects in their system who will be knocking on the door of the NHL this season, on top of a handful who could very well be doing the same in the not-so-distant future.