Three Prospects Who Could Make the Penguins’ Roster in 2024-25

With training camp a month and a half out, the Pittsburgh Penguins have most of their roster set. Barring any other trades or free agent signings – and there aren’t really any impact free agents remaining on the board – fans should expect to see some young prospects get a crack at the NHL roster.

The team recently signed some recent draft picks – Tristan Broz, Brayden Yager, Tanner Howe, and Harrison Brunicke – to three-year, entry-level contracts. And there are other prospects who might make a push for the NHL roster as well.

So who has the best shot at competing for one of the final spots on the 2024-25 NHL roster?

Tristan Broz

Broz, the second round draft pick of the Penguins in 2021, is coming off of a NCAA championship season playing for Denver. He made his pro debut in April for Wilkes Barre-Scranton and officially signed his entry-level contract on April 20.

The 21-year-old Broz registered 16 goals and 40 points in 43 games for Denver in 2023-24, and after battling some early-season adversity, he finished the year playing as the team’s top-line center. He profiles as a good skater and playmaker, and the Penguins could use his playmaking smarts as a complement on their third line. He also excels at creating offense off the rush:

Vasily Ponomarev

Ponomarev was part of the package the Penguins acquired on March 7 when they traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old Russian center profiles as a bottom-6 player, but some believe he could be an effective third line center in the NHL.

Ponomarev plays a strong two-way game and has offensive upside. His NHL sample size is too small, as he’s only played two games, but he registered 36 goals and 88 points in 120 career games with the Chicago Wolves, Carolina’s AHL affiliate. Although his ceiling seems somewhat limited, his strong two-way game and offensive potential render a look at the NHL level.

Brayden Yager

We’ve already discussed at length why the winger deserves a shot at the NHL roster, and – simply put – he’s going to be the prospect to keep an eye on in camp.

There’s no ignoring Yager’s 35-goal, 95-point monster season for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL last season. And his quick, deceptive, effortless release looks an awful lot like that of another 40-goal scorer the Penguins traded to Carolina in 2023-24:

Yes, it’s likely that Yager spends another year in junior hockey refining his skills. But the bottom line is this: The Penguins need scoring and have a glaring hole in their top-six. Yager could very well be the one internal solution who can help fill that void, so, if anything, it’s at least worth giving him the “nine-game trial run” to see what he can do.

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