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Penguins Prospect Pool Surges, But Can It Deliver Impact Talent?
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
The Pittsburgh Penguins are at a crossroads with the careers of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang winding down, but is there hope at the end of the tunnel?
It's likely going to be a 4th straight non-playoff year for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025-26 following a streak of 16 straight appearances.
There's no denying that the franchise is entering a crossroads with the careers of longtime mainstays Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang winding down, but will there be hope at the end of the tunnel?
Crosby and Malkin Keep Competing as Pittsburgh Rebuilds on the Fly
The best that the Penguins can hope for this year is that Crosby not only continues to play at an elite level, but that Malkin will treat what is likely his last year in the NHL as anything but a retirement tour of nostalgia.
If the Penguins can get competent goaltending from Tristan Jarry, who is now the de facto starter in net after the trade of Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks earlier in the summer, perhaps Pittsburgh could come within a reasonable distance of a Wild Card spot rather than dwelling in the East's basement.
Why the Penguins' 2025 Prospect Class Could Shape the Next Era
Per analyst Mitch Brown of Elite Prospects, the Penguins have the 18th ranked prospect pool out of the 32 NHL teams.
In the early stages of this in-between phase, the Penguins crafted cleverly, adding risers, projectability, and some re-entries to the system. This past year, they took a volume approach. In total, they made 13 picks last June, including three in the first round. They took shutdown defencemen, high-IQ forwards, industrious checkers with size, and potential breakout candidates.
Names like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen have already gotten to experience life in the NHL, albeit briefly, while other prospects like Benjamin Kindel and Harrison Brunicke aren't far off.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 5 | 23 ANSWERS Penguins Prospect Pool Surges, But Can It Deliver Impact Talent? Who is the most exciting Penguins prospect? | ||
| Rutger McGroarty | 12 | 52.2 % |
| Benjamin Kindel | 3 | 13 % |
| Harrison Brunicke | 4 | 17.4 % |
| Ville Koivunen | 4 | 17.4 % |
| List of polls | ||