For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Penguins walked away with the best record in the annual NHL Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, New York.
After defeating the Buffalo Sabres 8-5 on Monday, Pittsburgh’s next generation of talent is headed back to Pittsburgh in anticipation of beginning training camp this week.
View the original article to see embedded media.
There was a whole lot to like from the Prospects Challenge, and it’s safe to say that the Penguins have not had this much talent on the verge of being NHL-ready in quite a while.
As Pittsburgh wraps up the long weekend, they look ahead to the upcoming season. Here are five standout prospects to watch when training camp opens on Wednesday.
Rutger McGroarty
Might as well get the most obvious one out of the way.
McGroarty stood out in these games, as it was clear that he thinks the game at a higher level than pretty much all of his peers at the tournment did. He was consistently putting himself in position to make plays, and his playmaking shone through. He also played his trademark physical game and did not shy away from contact.
He finished the tournament with only two goals, but he was noticeable in a very good way for the Penguins. He’s arguably the top candidate to break the Penguins’ NHL roster out of training camp, and he will definitely be the one guy everyone is watching.
Tristan Broz
As good as McGroarty was, he wasn’t the best player in these games.
Nope. That honor goes to 2021 second-round pick Tristan Broz.
Broz was everywhere all weekend long. He registered three goals and seven points in three games, with four of those points coming against Buffalo on Monday. He was noticeable in all three zones, played a physical game, and developed chemistry with Ville Koivunen on the second line.
Related: NHL Prospects Challenge: Penguins’ Prospect Stands Out in Game 2 Win
Fresh off of a National Championship with Denver and signing his ELC, Broz is a longshot to make the roster out of camp. But make no mistake: He was very impressive during these three games, and there were a whole lot of Penguins’ NHL brass witnessing it.
Don’t count this guy out. If he continues his dominance into training camp and into the AHL season, it won’t be long before he gets the call.
Vasily Ponomarev
I wrote about Ponomarev at length on Saturday, but he was very good in these games. He didn’t crack the scoresheet a whole lot – he scored only one goal in the very first game – but his work on special teams and in driving play at five-on-five was hard to ignore.
He’s a ferocious forechecker and plays the game with tenacity and urgency. He wins puck battles. He clogs shooting lanes in the defensive zone. He plays physical and isn’t afraid to stand up for his teammates. And he has some skill to go along with all of his “grinder” qualities.
Related: Will Vasily Ponomarev push for a roster spot?
Even if Ponomarev doesn’t break the roster out of camp, he’ll likely be one of the first names called upon. He has two games under his belt at the NHL level from his time with the Carolina Hurricanes, and his style of play lends almost immediately to a third-line role.
Behind McGroarty, he’ll be next in line as far as NHL readiness at training camp.
Avery Hayes
It was hard not to notice Hayes – especially on Monday, when he recorded a hat trick and an assist for four points on the night – playing alongside McGroarty and Ponomarev.
And – in turn – he didn’t look a fraction out of place with them.
Hayes dealt with some injuries in 2023-24 and registered only six goals and nine points in 29 AHL games. He has a chance to distinguish himself this season, and his performance in Buffalo should give him a jolt of confidence heading into training camp.
Related: NHL Prospects Challenge: Standouts and Thoughts from Game 1
It’s hard to see Hayes being part of the Penguins’ NHL roster at any juncture this season, but it’s certainly not out of the question. He put up great numbers in juniors – including a 41-goal, 79-point season in 2021-22 with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs – so it will be interesting to see if Hayes can build on any of that.
Sergei Murashov
Prior to the Prospects Challenge, Murashov had recently signed his ELC after spending the past few seasons between the junior league and the super league in the KHL.
He didn’t miss a beat in these three games. He looked poised, confident, and comfortable in the crease, and he displayed excellent lateral movement, stickhandling skills, and play reads.
This guy is going to be a very solid NHL goaltender, and probably in the not-too-distant future. With Murashov, Joel Blomqvist, Taylor Gauthier, and, of course, NHL goaltenders Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, it’s highly unlikely Penguins’ fans will see Murashov in a NHL uniform in 2024-25.
But he’s a goaltending prospect to be excited about. He might be worth keeping a close eye on if you head to Cranberry to view training camp firsthand this week.
Related: Crosby’s New Deal Serves as Reminder of His One-of-a-Kind Legacy
