4 Penguins Poised For Big Breakouts In 2026-27
There are a few younger Pittsburgh Penguins who have the potential for massive seasons in 2026-27.
Video Transcript
Yeah, I think Avery Hayes and Tristan Bros are a bit behind him just because not as many NHL games.
Hayes is- Yeah a bit ahead of Bros.
I mean, Bros has only played one game.
So, I mean, I still don't think he's even gonna make the team out of camp.
It's mainly just gonna be him in Wilkes-Barre, unless there's a bunch of injuries, people get traded, waived.
Avery Hayes, I thought was gonna be on the team going into c- going into the f- first game of the regular season, but they just have so many forwards now where he might have to start the season in Wilkes-Barre.
You know, it's funny, if they would've given this contract to Rutger McGroarty, I'd actually be a little bit more comfortable with it, even though McGroarty has still not been as good as I've wanted him to be in the NHL, though he has at least improved a little bit, and hopefully is still going in the right direction.
But if you were to ask which player would you give this contract to between McGroarty and Koivunen, I'd say McGroarty, just considering that I think he's a bit further along than Ville Koivunen, even though Koivunen has played almost 50 games in the NHL.
I think that's a fair critique.
You know, my, my main thing is, is he even gonna pan out?
Like, that's the thing, 'cause he hasn't shown it yet in the NHL, and if he doesn't, well, then you just kinda wasted your time here giving out that massive contract to someone who really, at the time, didn't earn it, and then going forward, if he still doesn't earn it, you know, that, that just didn't pan out, and that's what sometimes what happens with these prospects.
Now, I'm not giving up on him or anything, anything like that yet.
He's only played 47 games.
I think it'd be premature to do that.
But again, there are some warning signs on, like if you're looking at a, like a light, like we're kinda at a yellow light right now, being like, it's getting ready to turn red soon.
We I, I just, I need to see it in order to believe it, and if he goes out there and proves everyone wrong, I think this turns into a solid contract.
Get 15-ish goals.
Yeah.
You know, 35, 40 points in a third line-ish role, I think you take that, even though the term is long, the AAV is 4 million, but again, not really a super big deal with the money.
It's a big bet, but you know, let's see how Dan Muse and the rest of the coaching staff really work with him here, because I will say they have done a really good job with a lot of development.
So this will be another test.
I do agree with you about Kendall.
I mean, he'll, they'll give him really whatever he wants on his next contract.
That's coming up in a couple years anyway.
But- Yeah not need to, don't need to worry about that right now.
They'll have plenty of time to pay someone like that and pay other players, because they have so much salary cap space coming forward that they don't really know what to do with it.
Ville, Ville Koivunen is the longest, signed player on this team right now, which is crazy.
Isn't that crazy?
Yeah.
That's crazy.
And also too, we were talking- And also too, we had a really cool tweet.
All these players that have signed seven to eight-year contracts, it's all franchise legends and Ville Koivunen.
It's like, I put the meme out there.
What's a polar bear doing in Arlington, Texas?
Like, it was I don't know what the meme is.
Like, it's just hilarious.
Well, hey, maybe he's the next franchise player on 30, you never know.
But as you said, there's warning signs, and I, I do wanna jump back real quick to the pending RFAs next season, because there are a lot in terms of the younger players and some of these fringe prospects.
So, as far as the NHL roster, you have Elmer Soderblom, who's, I mean, at this point, the Penguins have 15 forwards on their NHL roster, and taking into account this Koivunen contract, so I still feel like there might be a dam to break there at some point.
I don't think they'll be afraid of waiving guys like Justin Brazzeaux, some of the, Hendrik Lotter or some of these other guys.
I don't think they'll be afraid or allergic to waivers.
But if I had to guess, there's probably still a few things in the works.
But anyway, Elmer Soderblom's a restricted free agent.
Obviously, you have both goaltenders next season, Arthur Shewmake and Sterling Morton, restricted free agents.
And then when you go down to the prospect pool, I mentioned Rutger McGroarty, Tristan Bros, Avery Hayes, Owen Pickering, Jake Waldenaveg, which, I mean, that's a hit or miss thing.
We don't know if he's gonna see the NHL this year or not.
But at the end of the day, they do have a lot of those guys up for restricted free agency next season.
And I, like I said, I mean, you, you mentioned it, obviously right now Avery Hayes, Tristan Bros are a little bit of a step behind Koivunen.
I'd say McGroarty's probably in step with Koivunen, but those guys are maybe a, a stride behind.
However, again, Koivunen was on- given this contract after only 47 games.
You know, if Avery Hayes or Tristan Bros play 40 games this year at the NHL level or something of the like, and they have similar production, and they have similar seasons to what they've been putting up in the AHL, there's no reason they shouldn't be asking for, you know, pretty good term after this contract was, was handed out.
So it'll be interesting to just see how Dubas decides to handle some of these younger players and some of these contracts, because I don't think that I think this just kinda complicates things and makes the water a little murkier with this kinda stuff.
Because, yes, they have cap space to spend out the wazoo the next couple years.
We don't know what, you know, I'm sure Sidney Crosby will re-sign at some point.
It just hasn't happened yet.
We don't know what's gonna happen with Erik Karlsson, et cetera, et cetera.
There's a lot of what ifs.
But again, how much can you allocate to potential rather than given talent now?
And if they truly do wanna take that next step, they kinda have to be calculating their approach to how much they're gonna pay for potential and how much term they're gonna hand out for those kinds of contracts too.
So it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
It'll be interesting to see how everything plays out in training camp with the roster as currently constructed as well.
