Story by
4 Penguins Prospects & One Feisty Olympian Who Could Surprise
- Story by
- 4 Penguins Prospects & One Feisty Olympian Who Could Surprise
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
There are a handful of young Pittsburgh Penguins players and prospects who will fight for attention in the coming training camp, and there's one Olympian who hates the Tkachuk brothers who could make an impact in Penguins camp, too.
In fact, there have been almost no headlines or discussion since the Penguins traded out-of-favor prospect defenseman Emil Pieniniemi to the Florida Panthers for a 26-year-old European player with just one season of professional North American hockey: Oliver Okuliar .
Advertisement
Okuliar made headlines in the 2026 Winter Olympics playing for feisty Team Slovakia when he called Florida Panthers brothers (and Team USA forwards) Brady and Matthew Tkachuk "scumbags." Perhaps that wasn't the best move for a prospect whose rights were owned by Florida, but it might benefit the Penguins.
Before the Penguins dealt Pieniniemi to Florida in June, the organization had sent a loud and clear message to him that he must earn his way north. Last fall, the organization assigned him to the Wheeling Nailers after AHL training camp, and he promptly bolted home to Finland. However, his contractual status prevented him from playing in Finland, so he returned to the Penguins organization in late December and played most of the season in Wheeling with a couple of brief stints with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Ordinarily, a prospect who played most of his time in the ECHL would not fetch an interesting return in a trade, but it appears Penguins GM Kyle Dubas accomplished just that.
Okuliar was an undrafted free agent who signed an entry-level deal with Florida prior to the 2024-25 season. He spent the campaign with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL and posted solid numbers as a 24-year-old rookie, scoring 19 goals with 41 points in 69 games.
Advertisement
The left-handed center returned overseas in 2025-26, playing for Skelleftea AIK in the Swedish Hockey League and notching 29 points in 46 games. Again, Okuliar wasn't shy with the puck, netting 15 goals among his 29 points.
Okuliar is now listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, though some books list him as one inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter. He's a scrappy forward who doesn't mind the net front and a good forecheck, but isn't a great skater (not bad, but not plus).
The Czech league put together a highlight package of every Okuliar goal from 2023-24, and while there is some suspect goaltending, he also showed a knack for finishing.
Okuliar very well might be one of those hidden gems. He played six games in the uber-competitive Winter Olympics, scoring one goal and two points, but also didn't back down from the rowdy Team USA.
Advertisement
He will almost certainly spend most of the year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but is an interesting watch who could jump the line with scrappy play and some offensive contributions.
4 Prospects Who Could Surprise
Last season, Ben Kindel , 19, was not supposed to make the NHL club. Then he wasn't expected to last past his nine games–that came from the Penguins org, not just this writer. And then he wasn't supposed to play in every game, but he exceeded all expectations and played 77 games.
Players like Kindel are rare, so no one should use him as an example or possibility. No, the goal in training camp will be to perform well enough to reach the top of the depth chart to be called up. And there are a handful of Penguins prospects who have the raw ability to show well enough in training camp to do just that, pushing their NHL clocks forward by a few more minutes.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, a few of the more intriguing under-the-radar Penguins prospects from the 2025 draft class, such as Ryan Miller and Brady Peddle, are leaving junior hockey for the college route and will not be at training camp. Charlie Trethewey is headed for his sophomore year at Boston U, and Quinn Beauchesne is headed to Boston College, too. Perhaps the NCAA and CHL will address the current shambolic state of eligibility rules, and in the near future, the NCAA could find a way for prospects to attend camp, but for now, they're out.
2025 first-round picks Will Horcoff and Zam Plante are also in the same university-tied situation, though both should be in camp next fall.
1. Bill Zonnon
The second of three Penguins 2025 first-round picks (22nd overall), Zonnon, made his pro debut in the AHL playoffs and promptly scored goals in three straight games. He finished with four goals and seven points in 11 games.
Advertisement
Zonnon has the raw materials to become an NHL player soon. He's 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, and has probably added some weight this summer. He skates well, has soft hands, a good hockey IQ, and he seamlessly blended into the pro game last spring. WBS coaches gave him a lesser role as the fourth-line center, but a summer of work, combined with the learning experience, makes Zonnon a potential surprise.
2. Tanner Howe
For the first time in three summers, the Penguins' 2024 second-round pick has been healthy all summer and able to train uninterrupted for camp.
Howe spoke with PHN earlier this month about the process and the difficulty of finally making his pro debut last February after missing most of the previous two seasons due to injury. He's a scrappy winger who likes to stir the pot, play a physical game, and get to the net, but is also learning to play a complete game.
Advertisement
The Penguins' logjam almost assuredly prevents him and others from making the NHL roster, but a healthy summer, some gained experience, and natural tenacity could finally allow him to elevate his standing and be an early call-up option.
Also Read: Penguins Mystery Prospect Tanner Howe: Always Scrappy, Finally Healthy | PHN Interview
3. Harrison Brunicke
The easy choice among the Penguins' prospects because he was brilliant in the AHL playoffs, Brunicke was on track to make the NHL club this season until the Penguins acquired Kaedan Korczak via trade and signed righty Trevor van Riemsdyk on July 1. Brunicke will have to leapfrog Korczak to earn NHL playing time, which seems unlikely given the organization trading top left-handed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to acquire him.
Advertisement
Brunicke showed he could be an offensive defenseman but also play a gritty defense. Should injuries or a trade occur to move one of the righties, Brunicke is ready.
4. Owen Pickering
Pickering made PHN's list of top-five potential training camp predictions. His growth in the later stages last season put him on solid ground with the organization and made an NHL spot tantalizingly close. From WBS coach Kirk MacDonald to Dubas and AGM Jason Spezza , the organization is still preaching patience with Pickering, but now doing so with optimism.
Pickering began using his 6-foot-5 frame and reach to nullify rushes and offensive attacks, and did so with confidence.
Advertisement
There's a chance, albeit a small one, that Pickering claims the left-side third-pairing spot behind Declan Carlile and Sam Girard . Otherwise, he has the chance to submit a good camp and become the first call-up for the left side.
Related Headlines
