The 2025-26 season put the Penguins AHL team and the Kyle Dubas rebuild on full display. Now, they hope for a better follow-up season even as some prospects head to Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas did a great job rebuilding the team and making it competitive seemingly overnight, and understanding how requires a closer look at the American Hockey League team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
The Penguins AHL team had prospects on top of prospects last season. And somehow, more prospects made an immediate impact when they joined the team mid-Calder Cup Playoffs. It wasn’t just the surplus either, as the young players were carrying the Penguins in the playoffs.
It’s what made the deep playoff run bittersweet. The Penguins made it to the Eastern Conference Final, and the young players proved that they can play at a high level in the NHL. Yet, they didn’t finish the job and ran out of gas against the eventual champion, the Toronto Marlies.
It’s unlikely the Penguins will replicate that success in 2026-27. Yet, there’s plenty of reason to believe they’ll ice another great team. The pipeline is still great, plus the veteran presence is as well, and Kirk MacDonald has established himself as a great coach in the AHL.
Stats from 2025-26:
Record: 46-17-7-2 (2nd in the Atlantic Division, 2nd in the Eastern Conference & 3rd in the AHL)
Offense: 3.37 goals per game (tied for 4th in the AHL)
Defense: 2.58 goals per game (3rd in the AHL)
The Burning Question: Which Prospects Will Be The Toughest To Replace?
It’s a mystery which prospects will be in Wilkes-Barre and which will be in Pittsburgh to start the season. Everyone will only find out when the final roster cuts are made, with some joining the NHL team right away while others will be the quick call-ups if an aging roster starts battling injuries.
The big loss for the AHL team will be Sergei Murashov, the 22-year-old goaltender who is expected to split starts on the NHL team. He had a .919 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.20 goals-against average (GAA) last season, with a .931 SV% and a 2.11 GAA in the playoffs, removing any doubt that he can play at the NHL level.
Murashov isn’t the only one who will be in the NHL either. Ville Koivunen signed an eight-year contract this summer, and the expectation is he’ll join the pro team right away while Rutger McGroarty looks NHL-ready as a power forward winger who can score. Between the two, the AHL team must find a replacement for one of them.
The good news is that the Penguins still have plenty of prospects in the system. They’ll either start the season in the AHL or they’ll spend the whole season at this level before joining the NHL team next season.
Why The Penguins Are Optimistic
The Penguins have one of the best prospect pools in the league. As mentioned above, even if they lose Koivunen, Murashov, and McGroarty, they have young players who can bridge the gap. Joel Blomqvist, for example, is another young goaltender who was the starter in 2024-25 and can pick up where he left off.
The veteran presence also stood out last season and is expected to be a staple of this team as well. While the Penguins won’t have Aidan McDonough, Boko Imama, or Joona Koppanen, they have Rafael Harvey-Pinard back leading the forward group while Phil Kemp leads the defense.
Plus, the Penguins brought in a few vets to add some depth. Hugh McGing is the big one, a forward on the Springfield Thunderbirds who was a leader off the ice and added 31 points to the offense.
The 100-point season didn’t happen by accident. The Penguins were a well-built team from the top down, and it showed. Sure, it’s unlikely they’ll hit the 100-point mark again but they’ll be at the top of the Atlantic.
Prospects To Watch
Assuming the top three prospects are in the NHL (Koivunen, Murashov, and McGroarty), that leaves multiple big names in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. They’ll be high-impact players at the AHL level.
Harrison Brunicke is arguably the most talented prospect in the system. The two-way defenseman might be in Pittsburgh from day one based on his skill alone. If not, he’ll be the do-it-all defenseman on the AHL team.
The two borderline NHLers are Avery Hayes and Tristan Broz. Both should make it to the NHL, proving they can play at that level. Broz is the key prospect to watch because he’s a center who can fill a big need in Pittsburgh. So, both might start the season in the AHL but eventually get the call-up.
The newcomer is Mikhail Ilyin, who was thrown into the fire during the Calder Cup Playoffs and immediately impressed. The Russian winger was a flashy and exciting player with plenty of skill. That said, he needs time to develop and round out his game first.
The wild cards of the group are Bill Zonnon and Tanner Howe. They both look like fourth liners who fit the NHL mold. Zonnon, like Ilyin, made his AHL debut in the Calder Cup Playoffs, yet was unfazed, while Howe was in and out of the lineup and made a strong impression in a small sample size. Both forwards play that classic physical game that is fit for the fourth line but they also score, which goes a long way for their pro outlook.
