In yesterday’s post, I detailed many of the extraordinary things that went right for our Penguins this season. However, there was one important area I didn’t touch on. Namely, how our Pens did when it came to developing the kids. Regarded as a Dan Muse strength.
On that count, I’d say the results were mixed at best.
Before I go into detail, it should be noted our youngsters certainly didn’t lack for opportunity. On the contrary, the Pens broke training camp with four rookies on the roster, including forwards Ben Kindel, Ville Koivunen and Filip Hållander. Nineteen-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke rounded out the quartet.
Following a couple of non-descript games, Koivunen was quickly dispatched to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he would average better than a point-per-game. With a sterling 5v5 goals for percentage of 63.64, the 25-year-old Hållander played well through the early going while slotting on different lines before a blood clot in his leg effectively ruined his season.
After scoring a goal against the Islanders in the second game of the season, Brunicke’s play quickly went south. This led to an odyssey of sorts that saw him bounce from the Pens to the Baby Pens for a conditioning assignment, then on to Team Canada for the World Juniors before returning to his junior team in Kamloops and, recently, back to the Baby Pens.
Among the initial crop, only Kindel, arguably the surprise of training camp, stuck with the team. The 18-year-old thrived to the tune of 17 goals and 34 points.
Koivunen would eventually return and skate on a Kid Line with Kindel and Rutger McGroarty, with decidedly mixed results. Puck possession and play driving weren’t issues. Indeed, the trio actually had some excellent metrics. Koivunen’s, in particular, were outstanding. However, when it came to actual production, the line faltered badly, both as a unit and individually.
On the heels of his stirring cameo in the spring of 2025, Koivunen managed only two goals and seven points in 36 games. With just two goals and five points in 21 games, power forward McGroarty likewise struggled to produce, despite strong numbers with the Baby Pens.
Of particular concern, the speed of the NHL game seems to be an issue for both at this stage of their development.
Not so for peppery winger Avery Hayes, who scored two goals and was a forechecking demon during his spectacular debut against the Sabres on February 5. Although he, too, would experience growing pains at the big-league level, it wasn’t because Avery couldn’t keep pace. Which likely makes the 23-year-old the most NHL-ready of the bunch.
Among the other kids to make an appearance? Tristan Broz skated in one game for the Pens in December, with some rough metrics (Corsi 31.82, xGF% 13.93). Defenseman and former first-round selection Owen Pickering struggled mightily during a four-game trial and was quickly returned to the Baby Pens. This after playing in 25 games for the black-and-gold in ’24-25.
Wunderkind goalie prospect Sergei Murashov appeared in five games over a five-week span. He posted a 21-save shutout against the Predators on November 16, but was porous in his final two starts (.862 save percentage), including a come-from-in-front loss to the Mammoth on December 14 that saw him yield four third-period goals and the overtime winner.
As we all know, developing young players isn’t an exact science and there’s often a learning curve involved. Players like Kindel who step in and produce right away are the exception rather than the rule. As hard as it is to believe, Oilers great Leon Draisaitl scored only two goals in 37 games as a 19-year-old rookie. Practically matching Koivunen’s output this season.
Still, I think the Pens have to be at least mildly disappointed with the way the kids progressed.
Will any of them, particularly Koivunen, McGroarty and Pickering, eventually pan out?
Time will tell. But at first blush, we appear to have more questions than answers.