With plenty of roster spots up for grabs the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects will need to step up next season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2023 offseason with just under $20 million in salary cap space and multiple questions to answer about next season's lineup. With a majority of that cap space likely being allotted to the goaltending position the Penguins will need their prospects to make a bigger impact.

The Penguins held the honor of being the oldest team in the NHL this season. They also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006. While the two are not necessarily linked, it's hard to have watched this team and not come away thinking they need to be younger and faster next season.

Ty Smith is the most likely source from which the blue line will speed up. Smith spent the majority of the season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL behind an overstocked Penguins defense. 

The 23-year-old defenseman showed his potential in a quick nine game stint at the NHL level in January where he compiled four assists and helped run the Penguins top power play unit.

On the forward side, Sam Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen have an important summer ahead of them. With four NHL games between them, both will likely  enter training camp with an opportunity to make the NHL roster out of camp. 

Poulin missed time this season due to personal issues but was able to return to the organization late in the season and see some game action. Puustinen spent the entire season in the AHL, leading to Penguins farm team with 59 points in 72 games.

With several open roster spots and minimal cap space to work with, the Penguins will need these young players to step up in 2023.

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