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How Kirk MacDonald keeps Wilkes-Barre thriving with 47 different players
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Kirk MacDonald is coaching the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins through a 47-player season, and it still feels like a contender’s room.
That number is chaos, and it is also the entire story.
The roster churn is not just injuries, it is constant NHL pull-ups and emergency patches.
Even the schedule has been weird, with WBS idle since Feb. 7 because of the AHL All-Star break.
MacDonald’s message in this chat is basically simple, survive the shuffle, keep your habits.
In net, Sergei Murashov is 21, a 2022 fourth-round pick (118th) by Pittsburgh, and he is already forcing tough decisions.
Joel Blomqvist is 24, a 2020 second-round pick (52nd) by Pittsburgh, and he gives the team a second “start-any-night” option.
Kirk MacDonald has Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins believing
Honestly, the fan vibe right now is disbelief, like “how are they still winning with this many call-ups?”
Avery Hayes is 23, undrafted, and he is turning WBS shifts into NHL looks, including a recent two-goal debut in Pittsburgh.
Tanner Howe is 20, a 2024 second-round pick (46th) by Pittsburgh, and even his first pro steps matter in a year built on plug-and-play.
Melvin Fernström is 19, a 2024 third-round pick (93rd) by Vancouver, and his fresh AHL jump is exactly the kind of spark WBS needs.
Ville Koivunen is 22, a 2021 second-round pick (51st) by Carolina, and his skill game is popping at the right time.
And when Matt Dumba is scoring an AHL hat trick, you know this season is not normal.
The next test is what happens after the break, when the lineup blender starts again.
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