With training camp one day away, Pittsburgh's roster is set for the pre-season.
Just one day before the official opening of training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins' full camp roster is finally here.
On Wednesday, the Penguins released that 69-man roster, which features a nice mix of veterans, newcomers, and young players trying to make their mark. There will be a whole lot of intrigue and plenty of positional battles, as some of the Penguins' top prospects and young players will make legitimate pushes for an NHL roster spot.
Most of the players included on the training camp roster were expected to be part of it, but there are some surprises, some injuries, and some non-roster invitees that filled it out.
Here is what to expect when training camp officially begins Thursday, Sept. 17.
Surprise, surprise
It's not at all a surprise to see names like Tristan Broz, Harrison Brunicke, Tomas Galvas, and Joel Blomvist as part of the roster. Those are names that will join other young Penguins' players and prospects in tightly contested battles for precious roster spots.
But it was a bit surprising to see a few names on the list, including 2026 draftees Liam and Markus Ruck. The Ruck twins are slated to head back to the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL next season and are committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season.
If one or both of the Rucks would break camp, they are not AHL-eligible, and they would need to sign an entry-level contract (ELC) to play for the Penguins. The ELC would make them ineligible for the NCAA. So, it will be interesting to see how their camps unfold.
As far as players who are not headed to camp, the biggest surprises are probably forward Pierce Mbuyi and defenseman Peyton Kettles, both of whom had strong showings in the Prospect Tournament and were reassigned to their respective junior clubs.
Injuries
The most notable name on the injured list to start camp is goaltender Gabriel D'Aigle, who will presumably play a big role for the ECHL-affiliated Florida Everblades. His injury paves the way for Russian goaltender and 2026 fifth-round pick (160th overall) Matvei Nikonovich to secure a spot somewhere organizationally.
The other two injuries include forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Melvin Fernstrom. Fernstrom, acquired ahead of the 2025 trade deadline as part of the return for defenseman Marcus Pettersson, was injured at the end of the 2025-26 AHL season, and it's unclear at this point whether this is the same injury.
What to expect
The Penguins have invited 38 forwards, 23 defensemen, and eight goaltenders to camp. There are at least 13 forward spots and seven defensive spots open for the taking, and it is unclear where or if the Penguins will use the other roster spot on the forward front or on defense.
- While Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Sam Girard are pretty much locks on defense, expect youngsters Harrison Brunicke, Tomas Galvas, Owen Pickering and Jake Livanavage to make a push to try to come out ahead of Declan Carlile, Kaedan Korczak, Ilya Solovyov, and Ryan Graves.
- The forward battle will be even more interesting, as the Penguins are almost surely locked in for 10-11 spots. Newcomers Nicholas Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko are pretty sure bets, while Hendrix Lapierre and David Gustafsson should have their work cut out for them. Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Broz, Filip Hallander, Bill Zonnon, and Mikhail Ilyin - even the Ruck twins - should make decisions hard for Dan Muse and his coaching staff.
- Even if the goaltending seems set in stone, it's best not to assume.
Camp details
The Penguins will kick off a much-shortened camp Thursday, Sept. 17 at 8:45 a.m., when Group A takes the ice. The other two groups will practice in sequence afterward, and the same schedule will follow suit Friday and Saturday (Sept. 18 and 19).
Per the new CBA, the pre-season has been reduced to four games, and the Penguins will only have three camp practices as opposed to a couple of weeks worth of camp days.
Here is the full schedule for training camp and the rest of the pre-season:
Thursday, September 17
8:45-10:15 AM – Group A Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM – Group B Practice
12:45-2:15 PM – Group C Practice
Friday, September 18
8:45-10:15 AM – Group A Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM – Group B Practice
12:45-2:15 PM – Group C Practice
Saturday, September 19
8:45-10:15 AM – Group A Practice
11:30 AM-1:00 PM – Group B Practice
12:45-2:15 PM – Group C Practice
Sunday, September 20
DAY OFF
Monday, September 21
7:00 PM – GAME VS. BUFFALO
Tuesday, September 22
7:00 PM – GAME VS. DETROIT
Wednesday, September 23
DAY OFF
Thursday, September 24
11:30 AM – Morning Skate
7:00 PM – GAME AT COLUMBUS (Nationwide Arena)
Friday, September 25
12:00-1:30 PM – Practice
Saturday, September 26
3:00 PM – GAME AT BUFFALO (KeyBank Center)
Sunday, September 27
12:00-1:00 PM – Practice
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