It's a new season, and with the month of October in the books, that means it's time for the first Pittsburgh Penguins' prospects update of the season.
GM/POHO Kyle Dubas has managed to infuse the Penguins' organization with a lot of promising talent in the last couple of years by acquiring prospects accruing draft capital, and the Penguins' enhanced development staff has also helped young players already in the organization begin to find potential paths to the NHL.
And one position that has added a lot of talent is the forward group.
The Penguins went from having almost no forward depth in their organization to a healthy chunk of it in less than two years with Dubas at the helm. Some forward prospects already beginning to make an impact at the NHL level who have been added in Dubas's time are Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty (injured), and 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel.
But they're not the only ones.
Here is our October Penguins' prospects update for forwards:
Avery Hayes
Hayes has been a remarkable story for the Penguins up to this point, as his path to professional hockey was not a conventional one. Undrafted, Hayes signed a two-year AHL deal ahead of the 2023-24 season and put forth an impressive AHL campaign last year, when he registered 23 goals and 42 points in 60 games.
That earned him a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins this summer. After an impressive training camp with the NHL club, the scrappy 23-year-old forward is off to a good start in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with three goals and six points in 10 games. He's been primarily playing on a line with Tristan Broz.
It won't be long before Hayes gets his crack at the NHL lineup.
Penguins Forward Prospect Earns Entry-Level Contract
A potential key part of the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' future at the forward position earned himself a payday.
Tristan Broz
Speaking of players who shouldn't have to wait long to see an NHL lineup, Broz has put in some good work in the earlygoing for WBS as well.
He has four goals and seven points in 10 games, and the two-way center impressed the Penguins - and fans - in training camp with his responsible play in all three zones, which led many to believe he should have been given a spot on the NHL opening night roster.
In the event of injury, Broz - aside from Koivunen - is probably the most likely to get the call. The 23-year-old center has a skill set that should lend to NHL playing time.
Oh, and - side note - ironically, he shares the exact same birthday (10/10/2002) with Hayes.
Atley Calvert
Calvert is one of the biggest surprises in the Penguins' organization, as he - like Hayes - went undrafted. But he earned himself an AHL contract with Pittsburgh by showing off his ability to put the puck in the back of the net.
In his age `19 and 20 season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, the 6-foot-1, 196-pound center put up 40- and 47-goal seasons, respectively, before putting together a 2024-25 campaign that included 13 goals and 36 points in 38 ECHL games and nine goals and 14 points in 26 AHL games.
This season, the 22-year-old Calvert has started off with four goals and five points in nine games with WBS, picking up right where he left off. He is certainly a player on the rise to keep an eye on.
Don't Overlook This Penguins' Forward Prospect
In less than a week, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will begin a training camp that figures to be more competitive than any in recent memory.
Will Horcoff
One of three first-round picks (24th overall) this year, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Horcoff is off to a blazing start for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
After entering the NCAA last year mid-season as its youngest player - and registering four goals and 10 points in 18 games - Horcoff has begun his 2025-26 campaign with 10 goals and 14 points in 10 games, putting him at a goal-per-game pace as of now.
That's no small feat, especially for a player who turned 18 in January, is playing in the Big-10, and who many thought was a "reach" in the draft. Horcoff has true power forward potential, and his stock keeps rising higher and higher with every passing game.
Bill Zonnon
Zonnon - one of the other three 2025 draft picks (22nd overall) - is someone who many scouts and the Penguins' organization believe can be an effective middle-six forward at the NHL level.
Unfortunately, he was injured for all of training camp, and he just played his first game of the season Friday for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. He did not record any points.
The Penguins will be watching Zonnon closely this season, as he - like fellow first-rounder Kindel, who is unexpectedly playing at the NHL level this season - was invited to NHL training camp.
'We’re Thrilled With The Players That We Have': 3 Takeaways From Penguins' Day One Draft
Day One of the 2025 NHL Draft is officially wrapped, and the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> were certainly one of the more active teams in the first round.
Cruz Lucius
Lucius - acquired as part of the return package in the 2024 Jake Guentzel trade - is another collegiate player off to a hot start.
Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, the 21-year-old right wing currently has seven goals and 10 points in eight games for Arizona State University, and he has used his sneaky good release to find the back of the net for the Sun Devils.
If Lucius can continue his upward trajectory as a prospect, he will only make the Guentzel trade look better and better, as top prospects Koivunen and Harrison Brunicke were also part of that return.
Zam Plante
Plante, 21, was drafted in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft and is currently playing for the University of Minnesota - Duluth. The German center has six goals and 16 points in 10 games.
A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Plante - although undersized at 5-foot-9, 172 pounds - has shown an ability to work around his size with his vision and creativity and is also a pretty capable two-way player. It will be interesting to see where and if he fares into the Penguins' future plans at the center position.
Jordan Charron
Perhaps no Penguins' junior prospect is off to a hotter start than Charron.
Right now, Charron's 14 goals are pacing the OHL, and he has 20 points in 18 games for the Soo Greyhounds. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound right wing was taken in the fifth round (154th overall) this year, and right now, he is looking like a fifth-round steal for the Penguins.
Charron's shot and his ability to expose the soft areas of the ice are among the qualities that make him an intriguing underdog prospect for the Penguins.
Travis Hayes
Hayes - the younger brother of Avery - was drafted in the fourth round (105th overall) by the Penguins in 2025. He has six goals and 10 points in 17 games for the Soo Greyhounds and has seen some time with Charron.
Like his brother, the 5-foot-10, 167-pound forward isn't afraid to play with an edge. The Penguins like that bite to his game, and they hope it can translate along with his all-around skillset.
Family Reunion In Order As Penguins Select Brother Of Forward Prospect
There appears to be a family reunion on the horizon for a pair of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> prospects.
Mikhail Ilyin
Ilyin, 20, just keeps on climbing the prospect depth chart, and he has enjoyed an impressive start to the season for the Severstal Cherepovets of the KHL.
The crafty forward had a seven-game point streak earlier in the season and has four goals and 15 points in 22 games. His game has risen to a new level this season, and he is in the first year of his three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.
Ilyin consistently does some pretty impossible things with the puck, and his playmaking skills are top-notch. Keep an eye on him as someone who could make a push for the NHL roster in 2026.
Melvin Fernstrom
It has been a rough start for Fernstrom, 19, who was acquired in the Marcus Pettersson trade last spring.
The third-round pick (93rd overall) of the Vancouver Canucks in 2024 has just one point in 18 games for Orebro HK of the SHL, and this is a follow-up to a rookie campaign that featured eight goals and 17 points in 48 games and earned him SHL Rookie of the Yeae honors.
Skating continues to be a bit of a concern for Fernstrom, but the production needs to come along soon, too, for the young forward - especially with the shot he has.
Notable injuries: Rutger McGroarty, Tanner Howe
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!