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<title type="text">PensBurgh</title>
<subtitle type="text">Your best source for quality Pittsburgh Penguins news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.</subtitle>
<updated>2025-08-24T14:37:55+00:00</updated>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Reviewing the 2025 Top 25 Under 25]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66657/reviewing-the-2025-top-25-under-25" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66657</id>
<updated>2025-08-24T10:37:55-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-24T10:37:55-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects" /><category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Top 25 Under 25" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[As another August draws down, so too does our annual feature on the Top 25 players in the Penguins’ organization this year. With Kyle Dubas’s focus on rebuilding the youth has kicked into full gear, so too has the excitement and promise of the list. There are three spots to go, but no secret to […]]]></summary>
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As another August draws down, so too does our annual feature on the Top 25 players in the Penguins’ organization this year. With Kyle Dubas’s focus on rebuilding the youth has kicked into full gear, so too has the excitement and promise of the list.
There are three spots to go, but no secret to keen observers who will fill them (letting the secret out for the rest if its even necessary, in alphabetical order still to be profiled this week are Harrison Brunicke, Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty).
Dubas’s impact on the organization is really starting to be seen within the pipeline, he famously made 13 draft picks in 2025, in part due to stocking up with the trades of veteran players like Cody Glass, Anthony Beauvillier, Kevin Hayes, Lars Eller and Reilly Smith, all of whom added to the draft pile this past year. There’s still more to come, the Pens already have at least one extra pick in the second and third round in 2026, 2027 AND 2028, and sometimes more — they own three second rounders in ‘26 and three thirds in ‘27, with plenty of time to add to that collection.
In all, in 26 months on the job, Dubas has about completely reworked the T25U25 list with his imprint. 21 of the 25 players, including eight of the top 10 and 13 of the top 15 were acquired by Dubas. Sam Poulin, who makes his last appearance on the list this year and Joel Blomqvist are the last “young” player vestiges of the Jim Rutherford era still remaining. Owen Pickering and Sergei Murashov are the only signs on this list that remain of the ill-fated Ron Hextall stint as Pens GM. The rest are all players that Dubas has drafted or acquired via trade in the past two years, which stopping to think is quite the turnaround and focus on stocking the organization up from the bottom and growing out.
This turnaround an influx in talent is reminiscent of how Ray Shero made a concerted effort in the early 2010’s to add to the prospect pool. That movement eventually brought the Pens players like Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Olli Maatta, Matt Murray, Teddy Blueger and Tristan Jarry — as well as some others like Tom Kuhnhackl, Scott Wilson and Josh Archibald that chipped in to help round out championship teams in 2016 and 2017. It will take several more years for the prospects and picks of today to turn into NHL caliber contributors, but Pittsburgh will certainly be working the developmental angles to help the list of today eventually turn into perhaps the next solid Penguin team years down the road as the youth movement continues.
In terms of tiers, there is a lot muddling the waters this year. There are a couple of older “young” players like Philip Tomasino and Arturs Silovs that will help in the short-term but have questions about their long-term impact for the organization. A broad sort of tiers could be seen as follows to help explain and understand the placement of the different players at different spots on this year’s list.
Tier 7: #22 – honorable mentions; Long-term prospects with some upside
Starting with Brady Peddle (22), Travis Hayes (23), Cruz Lucius (24) and Quinn Beauchesne (25) and stretching even deeper to players that didn’t quite make the list like Daniel Laatsch, Ryan Miller, Kalle Kangas and Charlie Tretheway this area sees players that are basically long-term fliers for NHL contributions. Several of these players are 2025 draftees and barely 18 and will need significant time and development in the next couple of years to get a sense of what the team might have. There could potentially be some NHL impact, but at this point one really has to squint and/or project some best case paths of development in order to see what might happen.
Tier 6: #15 – 21; Slightly more developed prospects still a ways away
There are a couple of young prospects like Tanner Howe (17), but the majority of this tier fits as players who are mostly going to be in the pros in 2025-26, and/or are 20+ years old and have their futures coming into focus a little bit more. For many in this tier, next season will be absolutely crucial to see how things go for players like Emil Pieniniemi (15), Tristan Broz (16), Avery Hayes (18) and Finn Harding (21) as they get measuring sticks to show where they are at and exactly how much of their upside could be reached. That means different things for different players, Pieniniemi and Harding would be well-served as rookies simply to retain spots in the AHL lineup next season, while others like Broz and Hayes are up a level and trying to make headway towards a spot in the NHL, showing that not all of the players linked within the same tier need to be at the exact same position, depending on the different stages of their own individual careers and journeys.
Tier 5: #12 – 14; Intrigue, but patience required
This might be one of the more interesting tiers, and 3-4 years from now could go a long way to determining how good the Pens’ youth looks depending on just how many pan out. Melvin Fernstrom (12), Peyton Kettles (13) and Mikhail Ilyin (14) have reason to be all a little bit more notable today than others found in the lower tiers, but none will be playing in the organization regularly in 2025-26. Fernstrom and Ilyin will be loaned to their respective European teams, Kettles returns to juniors. All need substantial growth and seasoning in their games, but have some intrigue for their talents. Fernstrom has a NHL level shot, Ilyin has the puck skills, Kettles has the size and nastiness to be an impact defender that made the Pens want to take him at 39th overall. If any of these players rise towards the top of the list in years to come as mid-level prospects that emerge, that would be a very, very good thing. None of these players are ones that the team is truly counting on right now to carry their future, but this is a sort of “lottery ticket” type of tier — if a few end up panning out in a positive way, the health of the organization will benefit greatly.
Tier 4: #9 -11; The wildcards
Tomasino (9) and Silovs (11), as mentioned, as very difficult to place within others that have much longer runways. Both of these players will do something for the NHL Penguins next season, but beyond that it’s unknown how much staying power either will show to have. They could be pieces of the puzzle moving ahead, they could wash out depending on how next season goes. Sergei Murashov (10) doesn’t truly fit into this tier in the same way as the other two, aside from being a 20-year old goalie that could certainly be considered a wildcard given the various paths young goalies get on. These players carry more value to the organization since they will contribute something in the immediate future. But just how long that will last is still up in the air at this point.
Tier 3: #7-8; Older, near ready players
It can be odd in some regards to designate Owen Pickering (8) as an “older” prospect at just 21 years old, but all nine of the defenseman drafted in the first round of 2022 have already made their NHL debuts. Many will be NHL regulars next season. It’s high time for Pickering to show that he’s ready to be in that mix, even while recognizing as second-year pro and young player that he still has time and room for further growth. Similarly, at 23, Joel Blomqvist (7) is getting close to a launch or fall inflection point after making his NHL debut last season. He won’t be a lost cause to stay in Wilkes-Barre and try again in 2026-27, but if he’s going to get it in gear and become a full-time NHL player it’s getting to be time to demonstrate that in the coming year.
Tier 2: #4-6; Recent first round picks
The three players that the Penguins drafted in the 2025 first round, Benjamin Kindel (4), Will Horcoff (5) and Bill Zonnon (6) are neatly tucked together in this tier. Similar to Tier 5, the future success/failure of the 2025 T25U25 list will largely hang in the balance of just how much these three grow and where they end up years down the line. Obviously just a few months after being drafted, there is justifiably high hopes for all at this point but it’s still going to require a lot of time and work to see how it goes for each one of them. Unlike Tier 5, these are players based on their draft position that the organization is counting on to turn into something. That doesn’t mean we should expect future NHL All-Stars or absolute core players, but the spotlight will be on these three to grow into some sort of big league contributors down the line.
Tier 1: #1 -3; Cream of the crop
We’ll have the profiles and exact ranking of the three this week, but it’s not jumping the gun too much to say that the trio of Brunicke, Koivunen and McGroarty are the most valuable and highest-profile three young Penguin properties in this moment. Brunicke’s rocket ship of a career path nearly had him make the NHL last year at just 18, and he will get a long look in camp to prove himself as one of the top-6 options on a not-very-quality Penguin blueline. Even if he doesn’t stick in the show for the whole season, the arrow is pointing up to reasonably expect big things in the near future. Similarly, barring some trades, it might not be out of the realm of possibilities to send either Koivunen or McGroarty back to the AHL for the start of the season but these two players will be integrating into the NHL lineup much sooner than later and become the first part of the next wave of young players as the Pens build.

]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Answering nhl.com’s three questions for the Penguins]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/news/66645/answering-nhl-coms-three-questions-for-the-penguins" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66645</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T09:33:36-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-23T06:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[They ask, we answer. 1. Could this be it for Malkin? Evgeni Malkin, at 39 years old, is set for his 20th NHL season, the last on a four-year, $24.4 million contract he signed July 12, 2022. The second-line center hasn’t publicly addressed his NHL future. On the Penguins’ end, general manager Kyle Dubas said […]]]></summary>
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They ask, we answer.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">3 questions facing Pittsburgh Penguins ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/yOSGnRANs5">https://t.co/yOSGnRANs5</a>— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom/status/1958864227357401437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">1. Could this be it for Malkin?</h3>
Evgeni Malkin, at 39 years old, is set for his 20th NHL season, the last on a four-year, $24.4 million contract he signed July 12, 2022.
The second-line center hasn’t publicly addressed his NHL future. On the Penguins’ end, general manager Kyle Dubas said a decision hasn’t been made.
“I talked to ‘Geno’ at the end of the year in the exit meeting and then followed up with him,” Dubas said. “I get it, it’s the last year of his contract and it’s been a topic of discussion. But with the way we’re going to approach it, we’re going to go into the year. Then, as I told Geno in his exit meeting, then (agent) J.P. Barry when it started to kind of gather some steam, we’ll meet at the international break, at the Olympic break this year, see where Geno’s at and then meet after the year.”
</blockquote>
Realistically, the answer is most likely yes. There are only two forwards older than Malkin signed to the NHL this year (Corey Perry and Alex Ovechkin). Malkin is in the winter of his career, going from 83 points in 2022-23 to 67 in 2023-24 to just 50 points in 2024-25. Those 50 points went for .74 per game — good for the average player but by far the worst of Malkin’s career.
Could Malkin find a late wind, score 70 points in 70 games and help lead a feel-good comeback story for the Pens and everyone agree to keep it rolling for next year? It would make for a great story but isn’t grounded in reality at this point. All good things come to an end at some point, and the end is looking like this season for Malkin and the Pens.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">2. Can Crosby continue to defy time?</h3>
Crosby is still one of the better NHL centers after turning 38 on Aug. 7.
The longtime captain led Pittsburgh with 91 points (33 goals, 58 assists) last season, reaching 90 points in a third straight season for the first time in his NHL career. He has averaged at least a point per game in each of his 20 seasons, passing Wayne Gretzky (19) for the most in NHL history.
</blockquote>
For all the Penguins’ issues and problems, Crosby has been the safest of safe bets. He always performs, always adds his portion whether it’s in the faceoff circle, on the power play, or generating shots and chances for teammates. At some point, Father Time will win. And it’s troubling that at age-38, where Sid finds himself now, has often been the common age where even the all-time greats <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/statistics/66534/sidney-crosby-and-the-age-38-wall">start taking a step back</a>.
Still, would anyone in their right minds bet against Crosby recording at least a point per game for the 21st year in a row? He’s old, but still is as solid as ever. Call it inertia, call it being ready to peak his game for maximum sharpness in February for the Olympics, but here’s to betting Crosby’s age-38 season looks a lot like his age-37 year and a lot of the seasons that have come before it lately.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">3. How does Muse follow Sullivan?</h3>
Muse was hired as coach on June 4 to replace Sullivan, now coach of the New York Rangers, after winning the Stanley Cup twice in 10 seasons with the Penguins.
Sullivan is still considered one of the League’s best coaches. Dubas also views him that way, saying as much following the season and again after Sullivan parted from Pittsburgh on April 28.
But Muse, 43, could better fit the current climate in Pittsburgh. There’s an emphasis on looking to the future and developing young players without short-changing veterans.
</blockquote>
The classic Dad answer to this question: very carefully.
The more nuanced answer: Muse will be a fun x-factor to unleash on the roster this year. Maybe it was complacency, but it was pretty stagnant at the end for Mike Sullivan and the Penguins. NHL coaches don’t usually last five years in one place, Sullivan completed a stint of almost a decade in Pittsburgh. Sometimes it is time for something new.
But new doesn’t always mean different. Muse could well be the next Mike Johnston — good hockey mind but best served developing players at lower levels and not capable of grasping the intricacies of the NHL game. Then again, Muse could be the next, rising star coach if he manages to freshen up the veterans on the Pens while also bringing along the youngsters. More likely, he’ll be somewhere in the middle to not be a complete bum like Johnston but perhaps not be launching a 25-year NHL coaching career either.
It’ll be interesting to see how that one goes. On one hand, Muse is in a tough situation: the Pens aren’t expected to be very good and coaches of teams starting a rebuild don’t usually make it out of the rebuild. Muse wasn’t exactly hired with the expectation of winning, but he still will be judged upon it to the degree that all pro coaches are held up by their record. On the other hand, it’s a no lose situation: if the Pens are bad again, there’s an unimpressive roster that will rightfully explain why. In some regards, the bar is low enough that it will be easier for Muse to impress than it will for him to preside over a disaster. (And even if it’s a disaster, that will mean a good place in the draft lottery and possibility of a good pick, which wouldn’t be the worst end result for this specific season either).

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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Penguins get the preview treatment on nhl.com]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/news/66638/penguins-get-the-preview-treatment-on-nhl-com" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66638</id>
<updated>2025-08-22T09:13:01-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T09:13:01-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Over at the NHL’s website they’ve been previewing a team each day. Today is the Penguins’ day, so let’s go ahead and look at the content they’ve cooked up. A nice general article on the off-season. If you’ve followed every move closely there’s not a ton of new information, but those who might have tuned […]]]></summary>
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<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/gettyimages-2202942024.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
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Over at the NHL’s website they’ve been previewing a team each day. Today is the Penguins’ day, so let’s go ahead and look at the content they’ve cooked up.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Inside look at Pittsburgh Penguins ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/3qP4UIvOOA">https://t.co/3qP4UIvOOA</a>— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom/status/1958726794846015898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A nice general article on the off-season. If you’ve followed every move closely there’s not a ton of new information, but those who might have tuned out a little for the summer can get refreshed on a note or two on the weekend.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">NHL EDGE stats leaders for Pittsburgh Penguins ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/gcHi2ZBIOJ">https://t.co/gcHi2ZBIOJ</a>— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom/status/1958729865470886341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The NHL’s Edge data is always fun to poke around with and see some analysis on. This one shows how much Crosby still has left in the tank with his great 2024-25 season. He’s lost some of his burst and rarely takes on 2-3 defenders on the rush like a younger player, but there’s still a lot of power and wisdom in his game that’s leading to strong skating and excellent chance generation.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Pittsburgh Penguins fantasy rankings, projections for 2025-26 ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/D5YQxNfmV3">https://t.co/D5YQxNfmV3</a>— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom/status/1958729106402488423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Are people still big into fantasy hockey? I’ve kinda dropped off on it lately, but that could be a personal thing. Some of those point projections are interesting, a 42-point season from Anthony Mantha would be most welcomed and a really, really good development for the Pens at the trade deadline.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Top prospects for Pittsburgh Penguins ⤵️<a href="https://t.co/fUoAmLWdEJ">https://t.co/fUoAmLWdEJ</a>— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom/status/1958728415621914900?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
If nothing else it should be fun to watch youngsters like Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Owen Pickering and maybe Harrison Brunicke develop at the NHL level this season.
We’ll have more on the three questions tomorrow, for today the Pens get in the summer spotlight on the main page.
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[PensBurgh Top-25 Under 25: No. 4 Ben Kindel]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66623/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-4-ben-kindel" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66623</id>
<updated>2025-08-21T08:59:32-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-22T06:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects" /><category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Top 25 Under 25" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with another of the Penguins’ three first-round draft picks from the 2025 NHL Draft class. Catch up on the previous entries for this year: Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025Top 25 Under 25: The best of the […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
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The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with another of the Penguins’ three first-round draft picks from the 2025 NHL Draft class.
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
<a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/24/24472600/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-graduates-and-departed-players-in-2025">Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/25/24474065/top-25-under-25-best-of-rest-penguins-top-prospects-charlie-trethewey-daniel-laatsch-ryan-miller">Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/26/24474352/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-25-quinn-beauchesne">No. 25: Quinn Beauchense</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/28/24475474/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-24-cruz-lucius-penguins-nhl-ncaa-prospects">No. 24: Cruz Lucius</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/29/24475994/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-23-travis-hayes">No. 23: Travis Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/30/24476371/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-22-brady-peddle-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 22: Brady Peddle</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/31/24478013/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-21-finn-harding">No. 21: Finn Harding</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/1/24476690/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-20-sam-poulin">No. 20: Sam Poulin</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/2/24478141/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-19-joona-vaisanen">No. 19: Joona Vaisanen</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/4/24479832/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-18-avery-hayes-penguins-prospects-nhl-draft-ahl">No. 18: Avery Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480938/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-17-tanner-howe">No. 17: Tanner Howe</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480458/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-16-tristan-broz-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 16: Tristan Broz </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/62550/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-15-emil-pieniniemi">No. 15: Emil Pieniniemi </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/65272/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-14-mikhail-ilyin">No. 14: Mikhail Ilyin </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66330/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-13-peyton-kettles">No. 13: Peyton Kettles </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66383/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-12-melvin-fernstrom">No. 12: Melvin Fernström</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66346/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-11-arturs-silovs-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 11: Arturs Silovs </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66427/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-10-sergei-murashov">No. 10: Sergei Murashov </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66508/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-9-philip-tomasino">No. 9: Philip Tomasino </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66541/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-8-owen-pickering">No. 8: Owen Pickering </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66435/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-7-joel-blomqvist">No. 7: Joel Blomqvist</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66552/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-6-bill-zonnon-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 6: Bill Zonnon</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66608/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-5-will-horcoff">No. 5: Will Horcoff</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#4: Ben Kindel, C/RW</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Ranking: N/A</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Age: 18 (Apr 19, 2007)</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Acquired Via: First-round pick (No. 11 overall) in 2025 NHL Draft</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 181 pounds</h2>
<a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/576985/benjamin-kindel">Elite Prospects Resume</a>
<img src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/kindal.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
Ben Kindel was seen as a first round pick but not quite as high as 11th overall heading into the NHL draft. The Penguins felt differently than most observers and were quick to scoop Kindel up with their first lottery pick that they’ve made since back in 2012.
“His intelligence hockey sense relative to this class is elite,” Pittsburgh Vice President of Player Personnel Wes Clark said after the draft. “99 points [for WHL Calgary], understands the game at a super high level. Just big belief in Ben in terms of the upside, [he] influences the game on both sides of the puck. Yeah, we think the upside is sky high and we will do our best to help him improve in the areas he needs to improve in and see where it goes.”
Based on his point production, that might be going far. Kindel wasn’t a favorite prospect everywhere, but Top Down Hockey has enough data to project him right now as one of the most solid bets in the 2025 draft.
<img src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/kindel.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,8.0299785867238,100,83.940042826552" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
<a href="https://neutralzone.com/nhl-scouting-reports/whl-benjamin-kindel/">Neutral Zone’s scouting</a> report on Kindel highlights scoring chance generation. Kindel has a decent shot, but it’s his vision and playmaking that usually creates chances for teammates. That skillset and proclivity towards being smart and seeing the ice well is what makes him a favorite of Clark and Kyle Dubas.
Steven <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2025-26-nhl-prospect-pool-breakdown-pittsburgh-penguins-top-10-mcgroarty-kindel-koivunen">Ellis of Sportsnet</a> summarized Kindel thusly earlier this month:
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Kindel was one of the WHL’s hottest prospects last season, and the Penguins are betting high on his upside. He’s equally good as a shooter and a playmaker and is the driving force of Calgary’s attack. Kindel does a great job of finding open space and exploiting it, and he has a shot he can unleash from just about anywhere. Below-average skating and a lack of a physical edge knock him down a few pegs, but that’s where he is right now. Give him time with some pro hockey coaches and I’ll be much less concerned. I don’t think he’s a future first-liner, but he could be a solid second-liner.
</blockquote>
Kindel has already signed his entry level contract with the Penguins, but is expected to be back in Calgary for the 2025-26 season. Things could get interesting in 2026-27, though, with the new NHL/CHL rules that will permit one 19-year old per NHL organization to skip their final year of juniors and enter into the AHL one season quicker. Kindel looks like the poster boy of players this rule could apply to and help in his future development to move up the ranks a little quicker.
Until then, there’s experience to be gained at the WHL level. Kindel can use the time to pack on more strength and hone his craft in juniors, where he should be one of the absolute top players in that league after several high profile defections (and considering he already <a href="https://chl.ca/whl/stats/players/285/all/points/">finished seventh </a>in league scoring last season). Kindel was a part of Team Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase, scoring a goal against <a href="https://x.com/SEllisHockey/status/1951784114345972103">the Americans</a>.
It goes without saying that Kindel is a huge piece of the puzzle for the future of the Penguins. He’s arguably the first earned piece of their rebuild, coming by way of a high draft pick the team earned through poor performance on the ice. He was picked out of a big crowd of potential draftees and the spotlight will be on him to justify the team’s decision. It’s still a wide open future about whether he will play center or end up at wing, and if he can develop into the player the Pens think he can. It’s a big bet, but one that Dubas and Clark look comfortable and confident in. All that’s left is the waiting game to see how it ends up, a process that takes its first steps this season for Kindel in junior. He’ll be off the radar this season from the Penguin perspective — but probably not for too much longer.
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mike Darnay</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Sidney Crosby ranked 5th on NHL Network’s ‘Top 20 Centers Right Now’ list]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/general/66617/sidney-crosby-ranked-5th-on-nhl-networks-top-20-centers-right-now-list" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66617</id>
<updated>2025-08-21T02:55:24-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-21T07:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="General" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been ranked 5th on the NHL’s Network’s annual ‘Top 20 Centers Right Now’ list. Crosby, who recently turned 38, only trails Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and Aleksander Barkov in the ranking. Crosby heads into the 2025-26 season on the heels of a 2024-25 campaign that saw him […]]]></summary>
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<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/gettyimages-2210946323.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
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Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been ranked 5th on the NHL’s Network’s annual ‘Top 20 Centers Right Now’ list.
Crosby, who recently turned 38, only trails Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, and Aleksander Barkov in the ranking. 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Our Top 20 Centers Right Now list has a total of: • 12 Stanley Cups • 5 Conn Smythe Trophies • 10 Ted Lindsay Awards • 8 Hart Trophies • 8 Art Ross Trophies • 7 Maurice Richard Trophies • 3 Selke Trophies What do you think of our list?<a href="https://twitter.com/NHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLTopPlayers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLTopPlayers</a> <a href="https://t.co/7xSsx0hpuh">pic.twitter.com/7xSsx0hpuh</a>— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLNetwork/status/1958303535503933909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Crosby heads into the 2025-26 season on the heels of a 2024-25 campaign that saw him produce at a high level with 33 goals, 58 assists, and 91 points, his <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/3/28/24395710/sidney-crosby-makes-nhl-history-with-20th-point-per-game-season">20th season with a scoring rate of a point-per-game or higher.</a> 
“Sid looks the same,” said former Penguins player and current NHL analyst Mike Rupp. “The game looks a little different, but I would argue the last two-plus years I’ve seen some of the best Sidney Crosby I’ve seen. …He’s really the perfect hockey player.” 
The Penguins will be hoping for another in-season form from Crosby as the team looks to get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs for a third straight season in 2025. 
The NHL Network’s full ranking of best centers is as follows:
<ol start="1" class="wp-block-list">
<li>Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers </li>
<li>Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche </li>
<li>Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers </li>
<li>Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers </li>
<li>Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins </li>
<li>Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights </li>
<li>Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs </li>
<li>Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning </li>
<li>Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets </li>
</ol>
<ol start="10" class="wp-block-list">
<li>Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens </li>
<li>Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils </li>
<li>Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues </li>
<li>Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes </li>
<li>Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils </li>
<li>Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings </li>
<li>Tim Stützle, Ottawa Senators </li>
<li>Roope Hintz, Dallas Stars </li>
<li>Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres </li>
<li>Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks </li>
<li>Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers </li>
</ol>
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Adam Gretz</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[PensBurgh Top-25 Under 25: No. 5 Will Horcoff]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66608/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-5-will-horcoff" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66608</id>
<updated>2025-08-20T21:20:54-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-21T06:04:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects" /><category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Top 25 Under 25" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with another of the Penguins’ three first-round draft picks from the 2025 NHL Draft class. Catch up on the previous entries for this year: Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025Top 25 Under 25: The best of the […]]]></summary>
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<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/gettyimages-2222551268.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
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The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with another of the Penguins’ three first-round draft picks from the 2025 NHL Draft class. 
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
<a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/24/24472600/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-graduates-and-departed-players-in-2025">Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/25/24474065/top-25-under-25-best-of-rest-penguins-top-prospects-charlie-trethewey-daniel-laatsch-ryan-miller">Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/26/24474352/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-25-quinn-beauchesne">No. 25: Quinn Beauchense</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/28/24475474/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-24-cruz-lucius-penguins-nhl-ncaa-prospects">No. 24: Cruz Lucius</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/29/24475994/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-23-travis-hayes">No. 23: Travis Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/30/24476371/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-22-brady-peddle-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 22: Brady Peddle</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/31/24478013/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-21-finn-harding">No. 21: Finn Harding</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/1/24476690/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-20-sam-poulin">No. 20: Sam Poulin</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/2/24478141/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-19-joona-vaisanen">No. 19: Joona Vaisanen</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/4/24479832/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-18-avery-hayes-penguins-prospects-nhl-draft-ahl">No. 18: Avery Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480938/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-17-tanner-howe">No. 17: Tanner Howe</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480458/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-16-tristan-broz-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 16: Tristan Broz </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/62550/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-15-emil-pieniniemi">No. 15: Emil Pieniniemi </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/65272/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-14-mikhail-ilyin">No. 14: Mikhail Ilyin </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66330/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-13-peyton-kettles">No. 13: Peyton Kettles </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66383/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-12-melvin-fernstrom">No. 12: Melvin Fernström</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66346/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-11-arturs-silovs-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 11: Arturs Silovs </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66427/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-10-sergei-murashov">No. 10: Sergei Murashov </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66508/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-9-philip-tomasino">No. 9: Philip Tomasino </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66541/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-8-owen-pickering">No. 8: Owen Pickering </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66435/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-7-joel-blomqvist">No. 7: Joel Blomqvist</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66552/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-6-bill-zonnon-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 6: Bill Zonnon</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#5: Will Horcoff, RW/C</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Ranking: N/A</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Age: 18 (Jan 23, 2007)</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Acquired Via: First-round pick (No. 24 overall) in 2025 NHL Draft</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 203 pounds</h2>
<a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/576967/william-horcoff">Elite Prospects Resume</a>
<img src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-20-at-7.26.10%E2%80%AFPM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
The Pittsburgh Penguins did not get a lot 2025 NHL Draft lottery luck, but they still managed to significantly reshape their farm system and prospect pool thanks to three picks in the first round of the 2025 class. All three of those prospects crack the top-six of the PensBurgh top-25 under 25, including forward Will Horcoff, the No. 24 overall pick (and the third of their three selections).
The Penguins were in a position to pick Horcoff after a series of trades, beginning with the deal that sent Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a package of picks and players that included the New York Rangers’ first-round pick. When that pick ended up being No. 12 overall, the Rangers sent it to Pittsburgh so they could keep their 2026 first-round pick, either as Gavin McKenna insurance or so they could use for a trade deadline trade chip.
The Penguins then traded that pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for picks 22 and 31, before eventually trading picks 31 and 59 to the Los Angeles Kings for pick No. 24. That is where the Penguins selected Horcoff.
He is the son of long-time Edmonton Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff, and spent the 2024-25 season split between the U.S. National Development team and the University of Michigan.
In seven games with the development team he scored two goals with one assist in three games, and then saw his production really take off at Michigan where he scored four goals with six assists (10 total points) in 18 games. 
He was a little bit of a surprise as a first-round pick, but definitely has a lot of attributes that NHL teams value, including incredible size, strength and a lot of offensive instincts for a big man. The <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/576967/william-horcoff">EliteProspects draft guide</a> also absolutely loved his defensive game.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Horcoff’s defensive dimension stands out as a separator. His game is fueled by physical skill and proactive reads, and his range, strength, and subsequent lane clogging further enhance his disruption qualities. Off the backcheck, he’s a goliath, pressuring puck carriers to the outside, swinging into inside positioning, and leveraging positioning and processing to create stops. Furthermore, he’s a skilled playmaker who leverages time and space to break down defenders into overreactions.
</blockquote>
Corey Pronman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/nhl-draft-2025-live-updates-pick-by-pick-tracker/QaBTOaSE2Oil/RBOQ3efUfzUx/">shared a similar view of him after the draft</a>, while having some concerns about his ability to keep pace with NHL speed. Even so, he still sees a potential middle-six forward given his size, skillset and style of play.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
Horcoff, the son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff, was doing just OK to start the year at the U.S. NTDP. He left midseason to join Michigan where his game took off from that point, making a real difference for his team at the college level as a U18 player. He’s a very skilled big man who can make small-man-type plays in tight areas. He sees the ice at a high level and has a creative offensive mind. Horcoff is also good enough in the hard areas and can play the body when he needs to. The issues in his game at the top level will all come down to pace. I’ve seen slower 6-foot-5 guys, but his first few steps are going to be a struggle in the NHL. The rest of his game is good enough, though, that I see a projected middle-six winger.
</blockquote>
Wes Clark was also impressed with Horcoff’s improvement after he got to Michigan (<a href="https://pittsburghhockeynow.com/penguins-draft-guru-wes-clark-breaks-down-top-picks-strategy/#google_vignette">via Pittsburgh Hockey Now</a>).
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
The progression in his game from the start of the year to the end of the year, from going to the program in Michigan, was immense. He’s super athletic at 6-foot-5. Still very early in his development curve, and the mentorship and guidance that obviously he’s gotten from his old man (former NHL player Shawn Horcoff) is a big benefit. I think that will only go leaps and bounds for Billy there as he continues to develop. I love the upside there. 
</blockquote>
Horcoff is an interesting prospect, because he clearly has some upside to him and a lot of people like his style of play. 
He just may not have an extremely high ceiling. 
His chances of being an All-Star or top-line player seem low. But while his ceiling might be low, his floor is probably relatively high. He seems like the type of prospect and player that has a chance to stick in the NHL for a long time and carve out a role for himself as a complementary player. Even if that is as a second-line or third-line player, that would be a strong return on the investment of a No. 24 overall pick. 
Not every first-round pick has to turn into a star to be effective or useful (and most of them won’t). But every contending team needs to have a pipeline of productive players that can roll through the system and contribute at the NHL level. Those players are not only productive, they tend to be extremely cost-effective. That is always important in a salary cap league, and especially when those middle-six forwards can tend to be some of the most overprice and overpaid in free agency.
The Penguins farm system is still lacking a potential superstar and franchise-changing player, and until they find that player their rebuild is still going to be missing something. Even so, the improvement in the farm system today, versus where it was one or two years ago, is extremely encouraging and the 2025 NHL Draft class is going to play a huge role in that. 
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[PTO season starting for the NHL]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/news/66601/pto-season-starting-for-the-nhl" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66601</id>
<updated>2025-08-20T09:40:03-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-20T09:40:03-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Summer’s logjam is slowly starting to breakup with the recent news that Milan Lucic is going to St. Louis on a pro tryout. Brendan Smith will be headed to Columbus on a PTO. And don’t think it escaped attention that 38-year old Jack Johnson has agreed to a tryout with Minnesota last week. PTO’s can […]]]></summary>
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Summer’s logjam is slowly starting to breakup with the recent news that Milan Lucic is <a href="https://www.nhl.com/blues/news/blues-sign-lucic-to-professional-tryout">going to St. Louis</a> on a pro tryout. Brendan Smith will be <a href="https://www.nhl.com/bluejackets/news/blue-jackets-sign-defenseman-brendan-smith-pro-tryout-contract">headed to Columbu</a>s on a PTO. And don’t think it escaped attention that <a href="https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/minnesota-wild-signs-defenseman-jack-johnson-to-professional-tryout-081125">38-year old Jack Johnson</a> has agreed to a tryout with Minnesota last week.
PTO’s can serve different purposes of varying levels of seriousness. Some NHL teams just need warm bodies in camp to help them meet NHL exhibition games rules of having so-many veteran players in the lineup. Some are giving shots in the dark to see what an old guy might have left. Some could really use a player stepping in and earning a job.
In recent years, the Penguins have had various levels of impact out of PTOs. Occasionally it’s been for players at the tail end of their NHL careers that are barely memorable like Matt Bartowski, Austin Wagner, Mark Pysyyk or last year’s PTO candidate Nikolai Knyzhov. Sometimes it’s worked out, to a marginal degree, like the Colin White and Brian Boyle PTOs that translated into contracts and a future NHL job. 
This time around, with the cycle starting to go, here are some of the top free agents still around <a href="https://puckpedia.com/players/search?q=2024-25-ufa">via PuckPedia</a>.
<img src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/ufa25.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,1.9432773109244,100,96.113445378151" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
It’s believed that Jack Roslovic will be getting picked up as a free agent to a decent deal once other dominoes fall in place, but that’s been believed for almost two months and hasn’t happened yet. Victor Olofsson, as noted, is now off the board with a contract closing soon with Colorado. Several others on the list like Tomas Tatar and Jakub Vrana have already signed to play with European teams. Pat Maroon is out-and-out retired. Matt Grzelcyk is a “been there, done that” for the Pens.
That doesn’t leave a lot to work with. Is a 40-year old like Ryan Suter going to “sing for his supper” and see himself stooping for a PTO? Suter has always been a Western Conference guy throughout his entire 20-year NHL career, which could be another impediment towards interest in Pittsburgh. He’s also aged out into a severe and distinct decline over the past few years.
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Which, all that said, Suter would still probably be the best left handed defenseman in the Pens’ organization, even today at his advanced age.
From potential PTO candidates, Robby Fabbri stands out as an intriguing options. Major injuries, including multiple issues with the knees, have unfortunately derailed the 29-year old’s career. But he can put the puck in the net when he’s healthy.
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All things considered for the Pens, they already have way too many mid-level wingers on their roster and could stand to drop a few more than add another with a PTO. At this point, there’s not much room or reason for someone like Fabbri to even want to come to Pittsburgh, but that outlook could change quickly with a phone call or two that ships out other players on the roster to open up room.
That pretty much is that, PuckPedia has the Pens at 46 of their max 50 NHL contracts for the season (though that number increases to 47 if Harrison Brunicke is kept at the NHL level). Pittsburgh has a little bit, but not a lot, of room under the limits to bring in maybe one or two veterans on PTO, but most would simply be camp bodies at this point. The pool of available players isn’t that interesting and the team is too bloated with tryout level players ala Kevin Hayes, Noel Acciari, Ryan Graves that already are playing under multi-year guaranteed contracts as it is.

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<entry>
<author>
<name>Garrett Behanna</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: No. 6 – Bill Zonnon]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66552/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-6-bill-zonnon-penguins-nhl-hockey" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66552</id>
<updated>2025-08-19T22:50:18-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-20T06:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects" /><category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Top 25 Under 25" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with a look at one of the top players selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft. Catch up on the previous entries for this year: Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025Top 25 Under 25: […]]]></summary>
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The 2025 version of our Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown list continues with a look at one of the top players selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft. 
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
<a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/24/24472600/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-graduates-and-departed-players-in-2025">Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/25/24474065/top-25-under-25-best-of-rest-penguins-top-prospects-charlie-trethewey-daniel-laatsch-ryan-miller">Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/26/24474352/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-25-quinn-beauchesne">No. 25: Quinn Beauchense</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/28/24475474/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-24-cruz-lucius-penguins-nhl-ncaa-prospects">No. 24: Cruz Lucius</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/29/24475994/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-23-travis-hayes">No. 23: Travis Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/30/24476371/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-22-brady-peddle-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 22: Brady Peddle</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/31/24478013/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-21-finn-harding">No. 21: Finn Harding</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/1/24476690/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-20-sam-poulin">No. 20: Sam Poulin</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/2/24478141/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-19-joona-vaisanen">No. 19: Joona Vaisanen</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/4/24479832/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-18-avery-hayes-penguins-prospects-nhl-draft-ahl">No. 18: Avery Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480938/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-17-tanner-howe">No. 17: Tanner Howe</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480458/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-16-tristan-broz-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 16: Tristan Broz </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/62550/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-15-emil-pieniniemi">No. 15: Emil Pieniniemi </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/65272/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-14-mikhail-ilyin">No. 14: Mikhail Ilyin </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66330/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-13-peyton-kettles">No. 13: Peyton Kettles </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66383/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-12-melvin-fernstrom">No. 12: Melvin Fernström</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66346/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-11-arturs-silovs-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 11: Arturs Silovs </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66427/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-10-sergei-murashov">No. 10: Sergei Murashov </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66508/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-9-philip-tomasino">No. 9: Philip Tomasino </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66541/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-8-owen-pickering">No. 8: Owen Pickering </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66435/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-7-joel-blomqvist">No. 7: Joel Blomqvist</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="y2yfkn">#6: Bill Zonnon, RW/C</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">2024 Ranking: N/A</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="K3hr2e">Age: 18 (Nov. 25, 2006)</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="Sedh1c">Acquired Via: First-round pick (No. 22 overall) in 2025 NHL Draft</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="VKS2EE">Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds</h2>
<a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/646097/bill-zonnon">Elite Prospects resume</a>:
<iframe src="https://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats.php?player=646097" width="100%" height="295" frameborder="0"></iframe>
The Pittsburgh Penguins had built a reputation over the last 20 years (and rightfully so) of putting all their chips in the center of the table in the name of winning championships.
As a result, the Penguins, as most of us know by now, have not had many first-round picks to develop talent over that span.
With general manager Kyle Dubas taking the helm of this rebuild, he began to stockpile draft picks and kept those valuable draft assets to rebuild what was a barren prospect cupboard.
Fast forward to now, and the Penguins’ prospect pool is on the rebound, with many players in the system that have real NHL upside.
And in June at the 2025 NHL Draft, the Penguins had something they haven’t had since the 1984 draft: three selections in the first round. 
With the second of those three first-rounders, 22nd overall, Pittsburgh selected 18-year-old Bill Zonnon of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
In 2024-25, Zonnon completed his third season with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, also adding the alternate captain patch to his sweater and another feather in his cap as a young player. 
He scored 28 goals and 55 assists, good for 83 points, which were career highs. He also ranked second on his team in points. 
During the 2025 playoffs, the forward led Rouyn-Noranda and ranked 13th overall in the QMJHL with eight goals and 16 points in 13 games.
Over the past three seasons with Rouyn-Noranda from 2022-25, Zonnon tallied 62 goals, 118 assists, 180 points and was plus-29 in 195 QMJHL games. He has appeared in the playoffs all three years with the Huskies, registering 16 goals and 33 points in 32 career postseason games.
Looking ahead, he was traded to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, where he will play this year.
Before the draft, EliteProspects described Zonnon as something of a Swiss Army Knife player who is relied upon in all three zones, can flash offense, but also lay the body when needed.
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Constantly supporting teammates in all three zones, Zonnon jumps to the aid of defencemen on the back wall, gets the puck back, offers timely passing options, and moves the puck quickly in transition, orchestrating clever passing plays and entries in the offensive zone. When no play is open, he falls back on his forechecking ability. Defenders retrieving the puck better hurry their play when facing Zonnon. If they take too long to pass, the forward comes barreling down on them, pinning them to the wall, freeing the puck with his stick, and moving to an open teammate. <a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/nhl-draft-guide/2025">-EliteProspects 2025 NHL Draft Guide</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Pick 22 — Bill Zonnon Pittsburgh, you’re going to love this. Zonnon’s a powerful skater with size, a strong release, and intelligent playmaking. He’s versatile—effective net-front or on the flank—and plays a hardworking, two-way game. Bill is destined for the NHL. <a href="https://t.co/DKL7PXspM2">pic.twitter.com/DKL7PXspM2</a>— Wyatt Leblanc (@wleblanc15) <a href="https://twitter.com/wleblanc15/status/1940415539668763084?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://dobberprospects.com/player/bill-zonnon/">following description</a> of Zonnon from January 2025 is one of the reasons Penguins fans can get excited about Zonnon’s potential.
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Zonnon is a big and versatile forward who can play the wing or center. What stands out the most about Bill is his compete level. He’s relentless every shift on puck carriers and uses his size well to win board battles. Zonnon possesses a long and powerful skating stride, which allows him to be dominant in transition. Paired with a good skill level and a strong understanding of the game, it gives him a safe floor as a prospect. The only knock on Zonnon’s game would be his explosiveness and agility on his skates. Improvements would give him upside as a complementary top 9 forward in the NHL.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Bill Zonnon a des mains! Ce but sera dans le top 5 des jeux de la semaine!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LHJMQ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LHJMQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/9KPAUIvnN8">pic.twitter.com/9KPAUIvnN8</a>— Huskies de Rouyn-Noranda (@HuskiesRn) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskiesRn/status/1583227139444604929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“He really thrived when he moved to center, was excellent at center, plays in all situations, plays against the other team’s best players, and as the year went on, just a level of competitiveness, especially in the playoffs for them,” <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/three-first-round-picks-one-big-night-for-the-penguins">Dubas said after drafting Zonnon</a>. “He was really a driver for his team, and that was, for us, the most exciting part of him. So, the combination of size, competitiveness, the production, and then, stepping his game up as it went along.”
Pittsburgh’s Vice President of Player Personnel, Wes Clark, <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/meet-the-2025-penguins-draft-class">offered a rugged but equally complimentary view</a> of Zonnon’s upside.
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“(Zonnon) has a high work rate, highly competitive. Played center this year, has played wing in the past. Tremendous athletic upside. Got to know him a little bit there in Buffalo (at the Combine). You see the look in his eyes, he’s got that dawg mindset. So, the type of kid that helps you win hockey games.”
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Zonnon’s family immigrated to Canada from Togo, Africa, and in doing so, taught Bill the importance of working hard when nothing is given to you and earning your spot through grit and determination, qualities that undoubtedly shine through on the ice.
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“They came here with pretty much nothing, and they had to work from nothing to the point where they are now,” Zonnon said. “We have everything we need. So, being a kid and having them as mentors was huge, I’d say.”
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More recently, Penguins fans and the top brass got an up-close-and-personal look at all the new players at the <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/inside-scoop-2025-penguins-development-camp">2025 Development Camp</a> last month, and Zonnon certainly left his mark.
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“It was great. I think our team had a lot of chemistry on the ice, off the ice, so it was fun to go to battle with those guys and to get the win, too, was even better,” Zonnon said.
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Zonnon got on the stat sheet in Game One of the development camp scrimmage series, putting a Quinn Beauchesne puck past goalie Gabriel D’Aigle to give Team Stevens a 3-0 lead.
Penguins Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos also singled out Zonnon when recapping the scrimmages.
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“I think Zonnon wanted the puck. He was available for the puck. He made plays happen. He was transporting it up the ice on a few occasions. I know he got one goal, maybe a couple there. It was nice to see.”
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Fans are almost too quick to anoint first-round picks as immediate stars in the making. When, in reality, especially because the 2o25 draft was seen as a weaker one, it will likely take two to three years before we know what we have on our hands with Zonnon, Ben Kindel, Will Horcoff, and others.
The generally accepted projection for Zonnon’s NHL ceiling is that of a middle-of-the-lineup forward, with a realistic potential to reach the top-six in certain scenarios. A second or third-line driver would be a pretty big win for a 22nd overall pick in a weaker draft class.
His versatility and hard‑working style have already earned him praise from Penguins leadership. It’s up to the player now to use his physical tools to refine his game as he looks to round out his junior career on the upswing.
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Julia Stumbaugh</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: No. 7 – Joel Blomqvist]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66435/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-7-joel-blomqvist" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66435</id>
<updated>2025-08-18T12:11:11-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-19T07:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects" /><category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="Top 25 Under 25" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The 2025 Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown continues with Joel Blomqvist, who was unable to cement himself as an NHL starter during extended call-ups last season but could be competing with both incumbent Tristan Jarry and newcomer Arturs Silovs in training camp this spring. Catch up on the previous entries for this year: Pensburgh […]]]></summary>
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The 2025 Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 countdown continues with Joel Blomqvist, who was unable to cement himself as an NHL starter during extended call-ups last season but could be competing with both incumbent Tristan Jarry and newcomer Arturs Silovs in training camp this spring.
Catch up on the previous entries for this year:
<a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/24/24472600/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-graduates-and-departed-players-in-2025">Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/25/24474065/top-25-under-25-best-of-rest-penguins-top-prospects-charlie-trethewey-daniel-laatsch-ryan-miller">Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/26/24474352/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-25-quinn-beauchesne">No. 25: Quinn Beauchense</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/28/24475474/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-24-cruz-lucius-penguins-nhl-ncaa-prospects">No. 24: Cruz Lucius</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/29/24475994/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-23-travis-hayes">No. 23: Travis Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/30/24476371/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-22-brady-peddle-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 22: Brady Peddle</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/7/31/24478013/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-21-finn-harding">No. 21: Finn Harding</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/1/24476690/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-20-sam-poulin">No. 20: Sam Poulin</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/2/24478141/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-19-joona-vaisanen">No. 19: Joona Vaisanen</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2025/8/4/24479832/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-18-avery-hayes-penguins-prospects-nhl-draft-ahl">No. 18: Avery Hayes</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480938/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-17-tanner-howe">No. 17: Tanner Howe</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/24480458/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-16-tristan-broz-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 16: Tristan Broz </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/62550/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-15-emil-pieniniemi">No. 15: Emil Pieniniemi </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/65272/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-14-mikhail-ilyin">No. 14: Mikhail Ilyin </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66330/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-13-peyton-kettles">No. 13: Peyton Kettles </a><a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66383/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-12-melvin-fernstrom">No. 12: Melvin Fernström</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66346/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-11-arturs-silovs-penguins-nhl-hockey">No. 11: Arturs Silovs</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66427/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-10-sergei-murashov">No. 10: Sergei Murashov</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/pittsburgh-penguins-prospe/66508/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-9-philip-tomasino">No. 9: Philip Tomasino</a> <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/top-25-under-25/66541/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-8-owen-pickering">No. 8: Owen Pickering</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">#7: Joel Blomqvist, G</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Ranking: <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/2024/8/30/24231244/pensburgh-top-25-under-25-no-2-joel-blomqvist-penguins-jarry-nedeljkovic">No. 2</a></h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Age: 23 (Jan. 10, 2002)</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Acquired Via: 2020 draft (Round 2, No. 52 overall)</h2>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Height/Weight: 6’3”, 200 pounds</h2>
<a href="https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/495890/joel-blomqvist">Elite Prospects resume</a>:
<img src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/Screenshot-2025-08-13-at-7.55.31%E2%80%AFPM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=1.7361111111111,0,96.527777777778,100" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
With Alex Nedeljkovic injured to start the 2024-25 season, Joel Blomqvist got the call for his first NHL start ahead of Game 2.
The Penguins had come out of the gate flat-footed with a 6-0 shutout at home against the visiting New York Rangers. When the team put together a 6-3 win in Detroit in front of Blomqvist, he was shuttled to the front of the starting order.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">This is a Joel Blomqvist appreciation post 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/k5sFs4CUSV">pic.twitter.com/k5sFs4CUSV</a>— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNPittsburgh/status/1844541589508563130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Blomqvist went on to start four of the Pens’ first six games, recording a .908 save percentage over the stretch to secure his place over Jarry as Nedeljkovic’s backup when he returned from injury two weeks into the season.
A quick recap on the Penguins’ goaltending shuffle since then: Jarry came back into the rotation in late November and eventually reclaimed his starting role. Jarry was then sent to the AHL in January, at which point Blomqvist returned to the NHL as a backup to Nedeljkovic. 
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/blomqvist-earns-praise-in-first-nhl-game-back">said</a> at the time: “We think over the past year and a half, with his play in Wilkes-Barre and when he’s been up here with us, he’s earned the right to have a go at it and we get a chance to see what he can do in a prolonged look.”
From head coach <a href="https://x.com/DanPotashTV/status/1879981951496450202">Mike Sullivan</a> at the time, about what stood out about the goaltender: “Just his athleticism, his competitiveness. He competes hard on pucks. He’s really athletic. His lateral ability, his lateral agility, his ability to get post to post, is exciting. He’s a good goaltender. He’s played extremely well in Wilkes. We thought he played well for us, in the beginning of the year when he was here.”
But that next look didn’t pan out for the rookie netminder. Blomqvist struggled over that stretch, during which his save percentage dropped to .854 over seven games. His last start of the season was a 6-5 overtime loss to the Toronto Leafs on March 2. 
The Penguins finished out the season with Jarry once more in the starting role, while Blomqvist spent the end of the AHL campaign sidelined by an injury.
Blomqvist ended the NHL season with a .885 save percentage and 381 GAA in 15 games (12 starts) with the Penguins. While playing for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton whenever Jarry was back in the NHL mix, he registered a .914 SV% and 2.84 GAA in 18 AHL games.
Now Nedeljkovic has been <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/alex-nedeljkovic-traded-to-san-jose-sharks-by-pittsburgh-penguins">traded</a> to the San Jose Sharks, and The Athletic’s <a href="https://x.com/NHLRumourReport/status/1953215000320905456">Josh Yohe</a> reported that although the Penguins are “certainly willing” to move Jarry they haven’t been able to find a buyer for his contract.
There are meanwhile new entrants to the rotation battle. The Penguins <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/penguins-acquire-goaltender-arturs-silovs-from-vancouver-in-exchange-for-chase-stillman-and-a-2027-fourth-round-pick">acquired</a> 24-year-old Arturs Silovs, who was just named the Calder Cup Playoff MVP for his work with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, in July. 
Sergei Murashov is likely to make the jump from the ECHL to the AHL next season, where Filip Larsson could play alongside him. Silovs meanwhile has a shot to compete with Blomqvist to play alongside Jarry.
When Dubas spoke about the goaltender roster battle in April, prior to the Nedeljkovic and Silovs trades, he said that Blomqvist and Murashov were “still in competition.”
“Sergei is leading Wheeling in the playoffs and Joel will start with (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) on Wednesday against Lehigh Valley,” Dubas said in April (h/t Penguins team reporter <a href="https://www.nhl.com/penguins/news/kyle-dubas-we-re-closer-to-where-we-want-to-be">Michele Crechiolo</a>). “Those are two massive developmental opportunities for the two of them, and they’re very important development opportunities for us to continue to watch.”
Blomqvist was injured in that playoff loss to Lehigh Valley, and the ultimately Penguins traded for Silovs three months later.
Dubas’ decision to trade for Silovs could be a sign of some internal uncertainty that Blomqvist is, as the organization had seemingly previously indicated, the Penguins’ goaltender of the future.
There is the possibility that the uncertainty with Jarry and Nedeljkovic’s struggles last season led to the organization giving Blomqvist more NHL playing time than he was ready for in his first campaign, and that further development could lead him to a more successful second campaign in the NHL. 
After all, the netminder is just 23, and NHL.com ranked him as one of the league’s top 10 goalies under the age of 25. NHL.com’s <a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/top-10-nhl-goalies-under-25">Kevin Woodley</a> cited his height of 6-foot-3 and the overall struggles of the Penguins’ defense last season as justification for naming Blomqvist to the list.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">The puck stops here 🙅‍♂️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLYoungStarsWeek?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLYoungStarsWeek</a> Read more from <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLdotcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHLdotcom</a> ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/l0ZQ2r2jN6">https://t.co/l0ZQ2r2jN6</a> <a href="https://t.co/MiWZ1tEIz1">pic.twitter.com/MiWZ1tEIz1</a>— NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1945854760839500133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
What role Blomqvist plays with the Penguins next season will hinge on both whether the team is able to find a trade partner for Jarry— and the more than $16 million <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/player/_/id/13529/tristan-jarry">remaining</a> on his contract— as well as how much Silovs is able to impress in training camp.
Seeing as the possible roles Blomqvist could take on with the Penguins organization next season range from becoming a part of a starting tandem to returning to the AHL, his name will be one of the biggest and most important question marks on the roster as the team prepares for the September start of training camp.
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Jim Rixner</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Crosby, Malkin make Quarter-Century team]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/news/66570/crosby-malkin-make-quarter-century-team" />
<id>https://www.pensburgh.com/?p=66570</id>
<updated>2025-08-18T12:08:45-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-08-19T06:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.pensburgh.com" term="News" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been named to NHL Network’s Quarter Century team. Marc-Andre Fleury was also a part of it. Surprisingly, Erik Karlsson with three Norris trophies and the second most points among defenders of this era did not make the cut in this Canadian-heavy blueline. (Then again, the top-scoring defender Brent Burns […]]]></summary>
<content type="html">
<![CDATA[
<figure>
<img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.pensburgh.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/123/2025/08/gettyimages-2181168906.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
<figcaption>
</figcaption>
</figure>
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been named to NHL Network’s Quarter Century team. Marc-Andre Fleury was also a part of it.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Introducing the NHL Network's Quarter Century Team! <a href="https://t.co/B9Or6GEJVI">pic.twitter.com/B9Or6GEJVI</a>— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHLNetwork/status/1956491091936481626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
Surprisingly, Erik Karlsson with three Norris trophies and the second most points among defenders of this era did not make the cut in this Canadian-heavy blueline. (Then again, the top-scoring defender Brent Burns didn’t either). Also absent was Kris Letang, who had the fourth most points from blueliners of this era.
From NHL.com:
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<a href="https://www.nhl.com/player/sidney-crosby-8471675">Sidney Crosby</a>
The longtime Pittsburgh Penguins captain has won all there is to win in the NHL multiple times, including the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017), and the Conn Smythe Trophy (Stanley Cup Playoff MVP), Hart Trophy (League MVP), Art Ross Trophy (points leader) and Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy (goals leader) twice each. The No. 1 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft, Crosby set the NHL record with his 20th point-per-game season in 2024-25 and ranks ninth all-time in NHL history with 1,687 points (625 goals, 1,062 assists) in 1,352 games. The center is also one of six players in NHL history with at least 200 points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Crosby was named one of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players during the League’s Centennial Celebration in 2017.
<a href="https://www.nhl.com/player/evgeni-malkin-8471215">Evgeni Malkin</a>
A three-time Stanley Cup winner (2009, 2016, 2017), Malkin has an impressive resume which includes the Calder Trophy in 2006-07, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2009, the Hart and Ted Lindsay in 2011-12, and the Art Ross in 2008-09 and 2011-12. The Penguins center ranked fourth in the quarter-century in points with 1,327 (506 goals, 821 assists) behind Crosby (1,637), Alex Ovechkin (1,577) and Joe Thornton (1,459).
</blockquote>

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