NHL analyst says perception of Penguins' prospect pool has 'dramatically' changed since Jake Guentzel trade
Photo credit: Edit from PensBurgh
NHL prospect analyst Chris Peters believes the Penguins and Kyle Dubas have dramatically changed their prospect pool over the last couple of years.
For most of the last decade, the Penguins had one of the worst prospect systems in the NHL, and most prospects ended up as bottom-six players.
The Penguins started to fill out their roster with players like goalie prospect Sergei Murashov under Ron Hextall, but it kicked into high gear when Kyle Dubas took over.
The turning point for the Penguins and Kyle Dubas
The actual turning point occurred in the 2025 draft, where Dubas and his team chose 13 players, including three in the first round. Preliminary indications are that the Penguins may have hit a big payday with at least two of them.
Prospect analyst Chris Peters, of Flo Hockey, says the view on this group has shifted fairly dramatically, certainly since the Jake Guentzel trade.
"I think it's been fairly dramatic," said Chris Peters, the longtime prospect analyst.
"It's a much, much, much different outlook."
"It's a much, much, much different outlook."
Chris Peters does not believe they now have one of the best prospect pools, but he believes they absolutely are making progress, especially with their surprise 11th-overall draft pick, Kindel, in the mix.
The Penguins took heat for selecting Kindel, so small for a forward, too early for where he was projected to go, but they felt strongly about how well he understands the game, and so far, that assessment appears to be working.
Kindel has a great opportunity to emerge as one of the top six players on the team for years to come, according to Peters, and he has brains on his side that could prevent him from cooling off quickly, such as what happened with Buffalo's Zach Benson.
Another 2025 draftee playing above expectations is Will Horcoff, scoring big goals at Michigan.
Why the Penguins still do not have a top-10 prospect pool
Then again, other prospects identified by Peters to contribute are Murashov, Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen, and Rutger McGroarty. Performances are also promising at the AHL and ECHL levels.
"The Penguins still don't have that next star that's going to kind of carry them into the new era. That's the thing that they're lacking, and it's something they probably won't get without bottoming out," he said, "which, obviously, they aren't doing."
"If you draft in the middle of the pack, there are tons of teams that have done that and stayed in the middle of the pack for years and years and years," Peters said. "I think it's really difficult to supercharge a rebuilding effort without a top-four pick."
"If you draft in the middle of the pack, there are tons of teams that have done that and stayed in the middle of the pack for years and years and years," Peters said. "I think it's really difficult to supercharge a rebuilding effort without a top-four pick."
So why no top-10 ranking, then? The Penguins continued to win in the past, so they saw fewer opportunities to select elite prospects. Still, Peters has praised the last 20 months in no uncertain terms.
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