Who are the new players on the Pittsburgh Penguins? Meeting some of the offseason acquisitions
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - If there is one thing that fans have been able to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins the past few seasons it's that they're consistent.
Maybe not so much in play since they haven't been in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2022, but certainly in roster construction. Once mid-September rolled around, we knew pretty much who would be on the team once the puck dropped for the regular season opener.
This year, after a summer of some overhauling, there will be and could be plenty of new nameplates on the back of the black and gold skating Penguin jerseys.
So let's answer the question - who are the Pittsburgh Penguins?
Rutger McGroarty headlines a youth movement
Penguins President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas has not been shy about his desire to give the Penguins an injection of youth as the superstars enter the twilight of their careers. While Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson find themselves in their late 30s and closer to retirement than rookie seasons, the Penguins have been looking to supplant them with younger legs.
One of those players is 20-year-old Rutger McGroarty.
Acquired on August 22, McGroarty was one of the headlines of the offseason. The 2022 14th overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets was a star both on the collegiate level and the international stage. As a captain of the Michigan Wolverines, he scored 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points in 32 games. That would put him 7th in the NCAA in scoring.
The Lincoln, Nebraska native has also played a starring role on Team USA at the World Junior Championship in 2023-24, he scored five goals and four assists in seven games.
"After much consideration, we decided that the opportunity to add Rutger McGroarty was ultimately in the best interest of the Penguins," Dubas said at the time. "He possesses the combination of ability, leadership and competitiveness that the Penguins need to achieve our goals in the short and long run. We look forward to welcoming Rutger and his family to the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins."
So far this preseason, McGroarty has recorded two assists.
Along with McGroarty, one of the breakout stars of this training camp and preseason has been 18-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke.
The 2024 second-round pick has been a standout on the Penguins blue line as Erik Karlsson continues to work his way back from injury.
While the stats won't jump off the page, he's scored just one assist, he has been put in elevated situations throughout the preseason. Most recently, in a 2-1 loss to the Red Wings, he was paired with veteran defenseman Marcus Pettersson and showed a calmness with the puck, being able to escape pressure, and a willingness and sense of when to jump into the play.
"He's 18, but he certainly doesn't play like he's 18," Marcus Pettersson said. "He's just so poised with the puck, he sees the ice so well. Nothing seems to rattle him. You don't see defensemen look like that at that age very often. I've been impressed with him all camp."
Despite making an impression, it's believed that he will be sent back to his junior team either when camp breaks or after a nine-game tryout to start the regular season. Due to the NHL's agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, a player of Brunicke's age is ineligible to be sent to AHL Wilkes-Barre.
Ponomarev and Koivunen look to make the jump
Acquired in the trade that sent Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season, Villie Koivunen and Vasily Ponomarev are two young forwards pushing to take the next step and become NHL regulars.
The 21-year-old winger Koivunen was drafted in the second round, 51st overall, by the Hurricanes in 2021 and has yet to play in the NHL, but has pro experience in Finland. Most recently in Liiga with his club Karpat, in 59 games he recorded 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points.
Meanwhile, Ponomarev - who was injured in the most recent preseason game - was drafted 53rd overall by the Hurricanes in 2020, and has just two games of experience in the NHL. Last season in those two games with Carolina, he recorded a goal and an assist, both in his NHL debut on January 5.
A couple of other players who are hoping to be NHL contributors for the Penguins this season are 21-year-old defenseman Owen Pickering, a 2022 first-round pick of the Penguins. While he has stated his goal is to make the NHL club, with Brunicke making an impression and between six to seven established NHL defensemen on the roster, it's believed he will start the year with Wilkes-Barre.
Another 21-year-old player who made a splash this preseason is forward Avery Hayes. Hayes was signed to the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year as an undrafted player and while injuries hampered his debut, he still managed to score six goals and three assists for nine points in 29 games.
However, it was during the Penguins prospect challenge earlier this summer that he made his mark - scoring a hat trick in the final game to cap off a successful three games.
Joining Hayes in being a breakout star during the prospect challenge was forward Tristan Broz. The Penguins 2021 58th overall pick, the University of Denver product put up multiple points in Buffalo and was regarded as the Penguins' best forward.
Like a few others, he is expected to begin the year in Wilkes-Barre but could be an option should injuries arise.
Anthony Beauvillier, and Matt Grzelcyk on "prove it" deals
Kyle Dubas in his second year with the club opted not to hand out much money or term for free agents this summer. A year removed from signing defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year deal and extending Tristan Jarry for five seasons, this summer saw a slew of one-year deals for players looking to bounce back.
Among them were forward Anthony Beauvillier and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk.
A speedy, two-way forward, Beauvillier never found a groove in the 2023-24 season, having spent time with three teams - the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Nashville Predators. He managed just five goals and 12 assists for 17 points across those three clubs.
He made his mark in the NHL during seven seasons with the New York Islanders. In five of those seven seasons, he would score 12 or more goals and 28 or more points.
The Penguins are hoping on a one-year contract, the 27-year-old forward can rebound.
Grzelcyk was also signed to a one-year deal this summer. He spent eight seasons with the Boston Bruins and while he isn't known for his scoring touch, he's been known as a responsible, stay-at-home defenseman. Last season with the Bruins he struggled to stay in the lineup, playing only 63 games and being named a healthy scratch during the postseason.
The only player in free agency the Penguins gave more than a one-year deal to was center Blake Lizotte. While he currently finds himself recovering from a concussion sustained in a preseason game, the Penguins hope Lizotte will be their answer at fourth-line center for the next two years, if not longer.
The 26-year-old spent the last five seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and scored 37 goals and 69 assists for 106 points across 320 games. He also has said he isn't afraid to mix it up, saying during his introductory press conference he hopes to "drag the Penguins into the fight."
"I think that's what I do well, is when we maybe don't have our A-game, is I tend to bring players into the game – whether it be with tenacity, speed, forechecking, or whatever that might be," he said.
Kevin Hayes and Cody Glass join via trade
Part of the Penguins' overhaul this offseason included two trades for two forwards.
During day two of the NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins acquired forward Kevin Hayes from the St. Louis Blues along with a 2025 second-round pick for future considerations. The future considerations turned out to be the same second-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.
Hayes comes at a discount for the Penguins as he will only count for $3.5 million against the salary cap as the Philadelphia Flyers, who traded him to St. Louis in a previous deal, are retaining 50% of his salary.
Another bounce-back candidate for the Penguins, Hayes scored 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 79 games with the Blues.
The Penguins also acquired forward Cody Glass on August 13 from the Nashville Predators along with a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for forward Jordan Frasca.
The 25-year-old Glass was the first-ever draft pick by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Draft, being picked sixth overall.
Glass is yet another forward the Penguins are hoping can find his stride once again. His best season came in 2022-23 when scored 14 goals and 35 points for Nashville.
The Penguins will play two more preseason games, tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 p.m. in Columbus and then they'll play those same Blue Jackets again on Friday night at PPG Paints Arena at 7 p.m.
After that, the regular season begins on October 9 at PPG Paints Arena when the New York Rangers come to town for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.