It’s moving slowly but first time NHL players this season shows that young players are starting to make their way through the Penguins’ pipeline
One of my favorite little offseason features is looking back at last year and seeing the journey that it took for the first-time players in the NHL for the Penguins during that season. Since Pittsburgh didn’t make a lot of top draft picks in the olden days of trying to make runs in the playoffs, often times it wasn’t the traditional young player stories, but good ones just the same.
Well the times, they are a’changin in that regard. In 2024-25 the Penguins debut NHL players are starting to turn into a different type of pedigree. Two former first round picks in Owen Pickering and Rutger McGroarty took their rookie laps. Both of them started out in the NHL perhaps quicker than expected and then took return trips to Wilkes-Barre for more development. McGroarty came back to the NHL at the end of the year and showed signs of progression. The Pens surely hope for a jump over the summer in Pickering’s case to do the same.
The other marquee NHL debut this season in Pittsburgh was that of Ville Koivunen. As a major piece of the Jake Guentzel trade, the Pens will need contributions out of Koivunen to make the most of it. So far, so good with a successful apprenticeship in the AHL and seven assists in eight NHL games at the end of the campaign.
On the other end of the spectrum from these decorated and prized prospects, we did have a Cinderella story. Nathan Clurman got into the NHL this year for a game at age 26. It was only a couple seasons ago that Clurman was in the ECHL. It ended up being only one game for injury reasons due to the NHL blueline getting banged up but such a game could be a capstone for Clurman’s whole career.
Those four comprised all players who made NHL debuts in 2024-25 for the team. Next year could be the same with Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, Sergei Murashov all knocking on the door as having decent shots of getting up to the big time. Maybe Harrison Brunicke will win a spot and an early-season cameo. The team’s first overall pick probably won’t be ready for an NHL debut, but last summer no one would have expected Brunicke would make a serious run for it either, so who knows.
With the influx of high draft picks coming and more young players coming up the ranks, the Penguins will be breaking in more and more first timers in the near future. It can take a long time for the pipeline to start producing results and now it’s starting to kick out more and more.