We’re officially 10 days into Pittsburgh Penguins‘ training camp, and if one thing is for certain, there has been a ton of competition.
On Saturday, the Penguins cut 15 players from their roster, reducing their training camp number to 58. There is a healthy mix of roster locks as well as veterans and prospects trying to assert themselves into the conversation for a roster spot.
When examining how the prospects – in this case, players who have 25 NHL games or less under their belt – have performed up to this point, there have been some standouts, some surprises, and some letdowns.
Who is most likely to crack the final NHL roster out of camp, and who still needs to show a bit more to keep themselves in the conversation?
Here are some mid-camp prospect tiers.
F Ville Koivunen
Koivunen has stood out from the very first practice, and there is no reason to believe that he won’t be on the roster come Oct. 7. He is clearly NHL-ready, his skating looks better than it did last season, and he hasn’t missed a beat playing with Pittsburgh’s top players throughout camp.
D Harrison Brunicke
When I initially made this list, I didn’t expect Brunicke to be in this spot. But he has earned himself at least a nine-game trial by being one of the three best defensemen in this camp, period. And the situation he finds himself in – either play the entire season on a terrible junior team that he’s clearly outgrown or spend it developing on an NHL bottom-pairing – lends to him making the cut. A veteran like Connor Clifton may have to play the off-side, but the Penguins need to make it work.
D Owen Pickering
If we’re being honest, Pickering should be a lock for the roster as well. He has looked every bit as deserving as Brunicke, and they have been a pairing for most of camp. The only reason he’s not in the “lock” tier is because there are a lot of defensemen competing for spots, and Brunicke’s situation is a bit more dire than Pickering’s. Pickering would more than likely be the first defenseman called upon from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) if he does not make the NHL roster – especially since the Penguins’ left side isn’t ideal.
F Tristan Broz
Broz has, arguably, been the best forward prospect not named Koivunen in camp so far. He has shown off his versatility and – perhaps, even more importantly – his ability to put the puck in the back of the net. His responsible play in all three zones and his offensive upside should earn him a position when final rosters are announced.
F Avery Hayes
Right next to Broz is Hayes, who continues to get better and better. He played alongside Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust in Saturday’s 4-1 pre-season victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he didn’t look out of place in the slightest. His forechecking and play-driving ability – as well as his tendency to hang around the net-front – have stood out amongst others during camp.
G Arturs Silovs
Silovs let in one questionable goal this pre-season in the Penguins’ loss against the Blue Jackets on Wednesday, but that aside, he has been really solid. With Joel Blomqvist injured – and development being the priority for another young goaltender – he likely has the inside track to be the second half of the tandem with Tristan Jarry.
F Ben Kindel
Kindel, 18, has been the biggest surprise of training camp this season. The 11th overall pick in 2025 has shown more NHL readiness than expected, and he – like Hayes – has not looked the least bit out of place skating with some of the Penguins’ best players. In fact, he has gotten better as the competition has gotten better. A nine-game trial is unlikely because of the forward logjam, but if GM and POHO Kyle Dubas meant it when he said “the young guys are coming,” Kindel has earned that through his performance.
G Sergei Murashov
Speaking of, Murashov has been far and away the best goaltender in this camp, and I don’t think its particularly close. He is quick, athletic, and poised, and he didn’t flinch when faced against a pretty decent Columbus lineup Saturday. There is a maturity to his game and his demeanor that is advanced for a 21-year-old, and he has been dominant. I thought he would begin the season in the AHL for certain, but given his camp performance, I’m not entirely sure that he isn’t NHL-ready now.
F Filip Hallander
By no means has Hallander, 25, had a bad camp. He came over from the SHL on a new two-year contract with the Penguins after a standout campaign, he’s a center, and the Penguins are down a center in Kevin Hayes. That said, I do believe there are simply other players – namely Broz – who have shown more than him up to this point. If he is to make the roster, he needs to separate himself more in these final days of camp.
F Sam Poulin
Much of the same applies for Poulin, who has actually had a pretty decent camp up to this point (aside from his performance in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the Penguins’ first pre-season tilt). He has shown flashes in the practices that hasn’t fully translated to game action, so he – like Hallander – needs to show a bit more over the next few days.
F Atley Calvert
In a lot of ways, Calvert, 22, is a bit like Avery Hayes. He doesn’t play quite the same style, but his trajectory as an undrafted signee who impressed in the ECHL and AHL last season – especially in the goal-scoring department – makes him an interesting case. The cards aren’t in his favor, but don’t count him out entirely. And definitely keep an eye on him wherever he plays this season.
F Joona Koppanen
Koppanen is currently injured, but he is skating, and the Penguins generally liked what they saw from him last season. He’s another center, which the Penguins value, but his injury situation is probably going to limit his opportunity to make the NHL roster.
F Aidan McDonough
McDonough – signed by WBS this offseason – has actually stood out a bit in this camp. He’s almost the exact kind of Mark Donk-esque winger that plays a style complementary to Crosby, and he’s looked pretty solid alongside Crosby in some short samples. His path to the roster is unlikely, but it’s not entirely closed – and he’s one of the hardest workers out there consistently.
G Joel Blomqvist
Quite frankly, Blomqvist’s injury – which will keep him out at least one month – came at the worst possible time for the young goaltender. He was the default competition for a spot on the NHL roster against Silovs, and with his injury, he will have to battle his way back into the mix. And – with Murashov in the picture, too – he’ll likely have to do that at the AHL level as well.
D Jake Livingstone
Livingstone hasn’t really shown that he is anything more than an AHL-level defenseman up to this point, and his age of 26 isn’t exactly going to do him any favors in terms of asserting himself over younger players.
F Nolan Renwick
Renwick – who was signed by WBS out of the University of Maine – will be a player to watch in the AHL this season, but he hasn’t shown enough in this camp to earn a spot on the NHL roster.
D Chase Pietila
Pietila looks a step behind in this camp, and – although defensively sound – could certainly use more development before we revisit the NHL conversation.
D Finn Harding
I actually think Harding has looked better than expected at this camp, and I do think he could be in the mix for a roster spot next season with a strong camp. But the circumstances with Pickering and Brunicke and the other competition don’t leave much room for him this time around.
F Mathieu De St. Phalle
De St. Phalle, 25, has been fine, but he hasn’t played up to his competition in camp, and the fact that he is a bit undersized and gets knocked around quite a lot doesn’t help his case.
F Aaron Huglen
Huglen could, potentially, be a fringe option for the Penguins in the future. But after four seasons with the University of Minnesota, he could use some development in professional hockey first to get up to speed.
D Philip Kemp
There are a lot of defensemen in the mix at this camp. A lot. And Kemp, while serviceable, hasn’t shown nearly enough to supplant anyone else up to this point.
G Filip Larsson
Putting Larsson here was tough, as I do think he has been perfectly sound during the pre-season. But given how Murashov and Silovs have performed, I just don’t think he has much of a chance right now. That could change in an instant if he puts up numbers at the AHL level, though – or wherever he ends up. He certainly has potential as a reliable NHL backup.
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