2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Top 10

Aug 5, 2026, 11:00 EDT

2026-27 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Top 10

Credit: Steven Ellis

Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses, and so much more.

Here are the criteria for being labeled a prospect: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they must be 25 or under and have played fewer than 20 games in the past season or fewer than 30 games over their career.

Today, we’re breaking down the Pittsburgh Penguins.

For many years, Penguins fans have wondered what the post-Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin future will look like.

I’m not going to sit here and say that the Penguins have one of the better pipelines in hockey, but for a team that has been competitive for so long, they’re starting to build a pretty decent prospect pool. I don’t expect many players on this list to become full-time NHLers this season, but we should see at least four or five of these guys play with the big club at some point this year.

As the veterans continue to age, they’re going to need young players to step in. I’ve liked the team’s draft the past two years in particular. In 2025, they picked some guys that I didn’t necessarily love at their selections but have really grown to appreciate. Ben Kindel, for example, became a full-time contributor for the team. Will Horcoff was one of the top players in the NCAA for a good chunk of the season, too.

Overall, I like this group. And I do think Pittsburgh’s future is starting to look pretty solid with some decent players at every position. Again, this isn’t the deepest pipeline by any means, but it’s a good step forward. And once their veteran stars fade away, I expect the draft picks to continue to become more impactful.

Biggest Strength

Pittsburgh has taken a ton of swings on some wingers over the past few years, and I think it’s going to pay off. I think Rutger McGroarty’s best shot at making the NHL will probably be on the wing, but that could still change, of course. Horcoff, Bill Zonnon, Liam Ruck, and Ville Koivunen are all promising wingers who could play various roles. I don’t expect any to be a top-line player but you’re going to have some decent depth scoring which is something that hasn’t always been the case for Pittsburgh of course it’s asking a lot to hope that all these players become impact options in the near future but it’s still really solid depth.

Biggest Weakness

Markus Ruck is the only center that appears on this list, and I’m not really convinced any others in the system have a bright future in the NHL. I have liked Kale Dach’s game a little bit, and Ryan Miller could be a fascinating foreflying player, but those guys are both long shots at this point still. There’s definitely no heir apparent once Crosby retires, but that’s a hard guy to replace anyway. Fortunately, it is still a position that teams covet at the draft, and I do assume that Pittsburgh is going to continue to look for quality centers the next couple of years. But in terms of their pipeline right now, there isn’t much to get excited about.

Fast Facts:

NHL GM: Kyle Dubas
Dir. of Scouting: Wes Clark
Dir. of Player Development: Tom Kostopoulos
AHL Affiliate: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
ECHL Affiliate: Florida Everblades
Recent NHL Graduates: Ben Kindel, C

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Harrison Brunicke (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

1. Harrison Brunicke, RHD, 20 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 44th overall, second round in 2024

Brunicke had one heck of a season, which included time in the NHL, AHL, the World Juniors and the WHL. The 6-foot-3 had such an impressive training camp in Pittsburgh that it made him impossible to send him back to Kamloops, but he also didn’t play enough to the point where he became eligible for a stint in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He proved how dominant he could be at points, and that continued when he went to Kamloops and played a boatload of minutes. It felt like he was far too good for junior hockey, even if the numbers were nothing to write home about. Brunicke is ready for his first year of pro hockey, but he already has over 30 games of pro experience to his credit at 20 years old. That’s unusual territory for a young defender to be in, but his maturity and two-way hockey sense are advanced for his age.

2. Sergei Murashov, G, 22 (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Acquired: Drafted 118th overall, fourth round in 2022

Murashov burst onto the North American hockey scene two years ago by dominating both the AHL and the ECHL. Last year, Murashov put up some of the best numbers in the AHL, which included a .919 save percentage and a dazzling record of 24-9-4. Murashov has been a star for years now, so it wasn’t entirely shocking to see him register a 4-0 shutout in just his second NHL game back in November. I think there’s legit starter potential here (something many goalie observers have believed for a few years now), and it’s probably a good thing they didn’t rush him into full-time NHL duty once it was clear Tristan Jarry’s future was limited. Barring a last-minute signing, though, Murashov looks set for the big club this year.

3. Rutger McGroarty, C/LW, 22 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Winnipeg Jets in 2024

*Rutger McGroarty (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

McGroarty’s hype has definitely fallen in recent years, but I’m still a believer. He had over a point-per-game in the AHL last year and also got into 24 NHL games, putting up a soft three goals and six points. The hockey sense is clearly there, and I love him as a puck distributor. I’m less convinced that he’ll make it as a top-six forward, though, and I’m not sure he’s capable of driving any line effectively enough to keep him in a meaningful role. Part of that is his skating; it’s still so subpar for someone his age, and has been an issue since junior. But the puck skills? He’s definitely one of the most skilled forwards on WBS. I’d like to see him crack the Pens in a third-line role sooner rather than later, but he’ll probably need a few injuries in the system before that happens. Still, I’m not giving up on him.

4. Will Horcoff, LW, 19 (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 24th overall, first round in 2025

Michigan was one of the top teams in the country last year, and Horcoff was a big reason why. He had a whopping 25 goals in 40 games while also being one of the most physical players in college hockey. Horcoff’s World Junior performance was a bit disappointing, but he’ll have an opportunity to play a sizable role again this year. At his best, he can take over shifts and be the ultimate net front presence. I think at the very least, he’s a prototypical power forward, but he’s still figuring out how to use this frame to his advantage. Regardless, I’ve really grown to love this pick by Pittsburgh and can’t wait to see what happens when he eventually turns pro.

5. Bill Zonnon, LW, 19 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 22nd overall, first round in 2025

From a pure competitive nature standpoint, few players could contain Zonnon in the QMJHL last year. He’s so quick and aggressive without getting himself into trouble often. He has a great motor and protects the puck well. And definitely has what it takes to be a strong two-way player in the NHL. I thought some of Zonnon’s AHL playoff action was impressive. And while I don’t project him to be a top six player, I do think he’s going to be a very valuable bottom six player. I hope Zonnon can take on a big role in the AHL this season and push for some limited NHL duty.

6. Liam Ruck, RW, 18 (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 22nd overall, first round in 2026

*Liam Ruck (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

The first of two brothers on this list, I loved their selection of Liam here. Medicine Hat lost a lot of offense with the departures of Gavin McKenna and Cayden Lindstrom, among others, but Ruck made up for it. He loves to shoot from anywhere and does an excellent job of getting the puck where it needs to be. He led all draft eligibles with 45 goals, and that’s good for seventh in the country. Ruck is extremely dangerous around the net with a variety of quality shot choices at his disposal. His chemistry with his twin, Markus, was obvious from the get-go, and I can’t wait to see them tackle pro hockey together.

7. Markus Ruck, C, 18 (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 39th overall, second round in 2026

Markus is a special playmaker – he works as hard as anyone you’ll find in junior hockey. He loves to do the dirty work to make plays happen, no matter who he’s looking for on the ice. Ruck has obvious chemistry with his brother but can also dazzle on his own. My biggest concern was how unimpactful he looked during the playoffs – he kept getting pushed around far too much for my liking, and he doesn’t have the top-end skating to burn guys. Still, the numbers were wonderful last year, and the built-in chemistry with Liam can’t be ignored.

8. Owen Pickering, LHD, 22 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 21st overall, first round in 2022

Pickering played in 25 NHL games two years ago, but only skated in four this past year. It feels like his overall development stalled a little bit but I know there’s still a lot to like about his game. The six-foot-five frame is obviously intriguing and he has solid reach that he likes to use often. Pickering isn’t overly physically dominant, though, and I think that’s something that really pushes him down a little bit. I’d say there aren’t any real glaring flaws in his game, but there isn’t a ton of upside right now either. I still think there’s an opportunity for Pickering to become a bottom-pair defenseman who could shut guys down, but that is a far cry from the puck-moving blueliner many scouts were projecting to be at one point.

9. Ville Koivunen, LW, 23 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Traded by Carolina Hurricanes in 2024

*Ville Koivunen (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

With 47 NHL games under his belt, Koivunen is definitely the most senior player on this list. His first pro hockey season was five years ago, so he’s definitely got a lot of experience at this point. Koivunen was dominant in the Finnish Pro League and had a really promising 2024-2025 season. I still think he’s a very valuable AHL player, but NHL consistency was definitely an issue last year. The fact that Koivunen had the same number of points in his eight-game stint in 2024-2025 as he had in his 39-game run last year is a bit worrying. I do like that he has become a bit more physical but I do wonder if he has the game-to-game consistency to be a top-nine forward in the NHL. I would like to see him really force his way into a full-time role sooner rather than later but I know the team has a lot of layer depth this season.

10. Avery Hayes, RW, 23 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, AHL)

Acquired: Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025

Everyone likes a good underdog story. Hayes seems to be a personal favorite of Kyle Dubas, given Hayes was invited to Toronto’s development camps many years ago, while still in junior. He was a productive player in the OHL who really started to figure it out in the AHL two years ago. Hayes’ goal-scoring proficiency allowed him to get a 16 game run with the Penguins last season. And he scored five goals in that span. I think we’re mostly talking about a guy who projects as a four-point energy player who could also add the odd goal occasionally. But for somebody who went undrafted and has been able to turn that into a productive pro hockey career, especially after missing time due to injury in his first year out of junior, it’s been fun watching him turn into a legitimate name to watch.

Other Prospects: Melvin Fernstorm, RW (20), Tristan Broz, C (23), Atley Calvert, C (22), Tanner Howe, LW (20), Mikhail Ilyin, RW (21), Pierce Mbuyi, LW (18), Travis Hayes, RW (18), Ryan Miller, C (19), Jordan Charron, RW (19), Carter Sanderson, LW (18), Kale Dach, C (19), Mac Swanson, C (20), Emil Jarventie, LW (21), Luke Devlin, C (22), Zam Plante, C (21), Parker Von Richter, RHD (20), Brady Peddle, LHD (19), Kalle Kangas, LHD (21), Charlie Trethewey, RHD, (19), Quinn Beauchesne, RHD (19), Tomas Galvas, LHD (20), Jake Livanavage, LHD (22), Peyton Kettles, RHD (18), Chase Pietila, RHD (22), Finn Harding, RHD (21), Gabriel D’Aigle, G (19), Matvei Nikonovich, G (18), Joel Blomqvist, G (24)

SPONSORED BY bet365

Recently from Steven Ellis

MORE FACEOFF.IN YOUR INBOX.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DAILY NEWSLETTER