Three prospects who could make the Penguins’ 2024-25 roster

With a month and a half until training camp, the Pittsburgh Penguins have most of their roster set. Barring any other trades or free agent signings — and there’s really no impact from remaining free agents on the board — fans should expect to see some young prospects get a shot on an NHL roster.

The team recently signed some recent draft picks – Tristan Broz, Brayden Yager, Tanner Howe and Harrison Brunicke – to three-year entry-level contracts. And there are other prospects who could also try to make an NHL roster.

So who is most likely to compete for one of the final spots on the 2024-25 NHL roster?

Tristan Broz

Broz, the Penguins’ 2021 second-round draft pick, is coming off an NCAA championship season playing for Denver. He made his professional debut in April for Wilkes Barre-Scranton and officially signed his entry-level contract on April 20.

Broz, 21, recorded 16 goals and 40 points in 43 games for Denver in 2023-24, and after battling some early-season adversity, he finished the year playing as the team’s first-line center. He presents himself as a good skater and playmaker, and the Penguins could use his intelligence as a playmaker to complement their third line. He is also excellent at creating offensive attacks:

Vasily Ponomarev

Ponomarev was part of the package the Penguins acquired on March 7 when they traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old Russian center is considered a bottom-six forward, but some believe he could be an effective third-line center in the NHL.

Ponomarev plays a strong two-way game and has offensive advantages. His NHL sample size is very small, as he only played two games, but recorded 36 goals and 88 points in 120 career games with the Chicago Wolves, Carolina’s AHL affiliate. While his ceiling appears somewhat limited, his strong two-way game and offensive potential give him a look at the NHL level.

Brayden Yager

We have already discussed at length why the winger deserves a chance on the NHL rosterand – simply put – he will be the prospect to watch in camp.

There’s no ignoring Yager’s monster 35-goal, 95-point season for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors last season. And his quick, deceptive, effortless release looks a lot like that of another 40-goal scorer the Penguins traded to Carolina in 2023-24:

Yes, Yager is likely to spend another year of junior hockey refining his skills. But the bottom line is this: The Penguins need scoring and have a glaring gap in the top six. Yager may very well be the only in-house solution that can help fill that void, so it’s at least worth giving him a “nine-game tryout” to see what he can do.

Related: Three reasons to give the Penguins’ top prospect an NHL look

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