Prospect Info: '24-'25 Prospects Thread: Generation Z

[The Old Master]

I just think it's weird to rank a guy who has barely played in the AHL that high. And it's not like he's demolished junior hockey either. Feels like people are putting a lot of stock into training camp.

maybe the quality of players we have is just not that great.

 

[Pancakes]

maybe the quality of players we have is just not that great.

It's not.

But like Blomqvist has played quality NHL games. Pickering has. And I don't think what either of those players did in junior hockey is much if at all worse than what Brunicke has done.

 

[WickedWrister]

I don't know, maybe this is a contrarian take, but I probably have Pieniniemi>Pickering as of right now. I feel like everyone is just anchoring on Pickering's 1st round draft capital as I haven't really noticed much progression to his game besides bulking up a bit.

PPG as a dman in his first season of NA hockey is nothing to scoff at. 10 pts in 11 games in the playoffs and was one of the best players for Team Finland at the WJC (1st pairing and PP1). Breakout season for sure. I don't know how high his ceiling is, but there's a bit more offensive upside there than we probably anticipated.

 

[Rudy Russo]

From the RG Media-
The Penguins and Golden Knights are the two teams going for KHL star Maxim Shabanov. The 24-year-old left-winger registered 23 goals, 67 points in 65 games playing in the second-best league in the world. He ranked 3rd in pts in the KHL.

 

[Turin]

From the RG Media-
The Penguins and Golden Knights are the two teams going for KHL star Maxim Shabanov. The 24-year-old left-winger registered 23 goals, 67 points in 65 games playing in the second-best league in the world. He ranked 3rd in pts in the KHL.

Please Kyle bro please he looks kinda good

He also doesn't look like a terrible skating powerplay merchant like Kuzmenko and Gusev.

 

[Andy99]

Wow…

 

[DesertedPenguin]

From the RG Media-
The Penguins and Golden Knights are the two teams going for KHL star Maxim Shabanov. The 24-year-old left-winger registered 23 goals, 67 points in 65 games playing in the second-best league in the world. He ranked 3rd in pts in the KHL.

Discussed in the Salary Cap thread. RG Media isn't reliable. It's sheer speculation regarding whether Shabanov is even going to leave the KHL.

 

[Ulf5]

Discussed in the Salary Cap thread. RG Media isn't reliable. It's sheer speculation regarding whether Shabanov is even going to leave the KHL.

And on the main boards thread it says Philly and Vegas are the favorites if he leaves lol.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

Im trying not to get too excited, but he really could be the next Riley Holzapfel

Solid reference.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Wow…

It's a nice change to have some true prospects in the penguins system.

 

[Turin]

Pens are going to be a top 10 system, finally, within a year.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Wow…

No Tankov? This is bullshit.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t really think Brunicke struggled, definitely not outside of a few shifts in his first couple AHL games.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don't know, maybe this is a contrarian take, but I probably have Pieniniemi>Pickering as of right now. I feel like everyone is just anchoring on Pickering's 1st round draft capital as I haven't really noticed much progression to his game besides bulking up a bit.

PPG as a dman in his first season of NA hockey is nothing to scoff at. 10 pts in 11 games in the playoffs and was one of the best players for Team Finland at the WJC (1st pairing and PP1). Breakout season for sure. I don't know how high his ceiling is, but there's a bit more offensive upside there than we probably anticipated.

Pickering has proven he can play in the NHL.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Penguins prospect pool being ranked #20 seems about right at this point. They were also #20 in Wheeler's rankings before the deadline and added Fernstrom, which should bump them up a bit but still firmly in the #17-#20 range IMO.

The prospect pool is solidly deep but they still need top end talent. With their 3 1sts in the next 2 years, I figure they get some more high end prospects to push their prospect pool ranking towards #10 or higher. I would have them on the fringes of the top-10 (probably the #10-#12 range) after the draft if they get the Rangers 1st this year, especially if they can get lucky and pull off 2 prospects like Eklund and O'Brien with those 2 picks.

 

[WickedWrister]

Pickering has proven he can play in the NHL.

I mean he played in NHL games yes but I don't think he was impactful at all really in those 25 appearances. Which is normal, he's a 21 year old rookie defenseman. And our NHL ready depth at the position group is so poor, that it would be shocking if he didn't seize an NHL roster spot. But he hasn't done that yet.

 

[Gurglesons]

I mean he played in NHL games yes but I don't think he was impactful at all really in those 25 appearances. Which is normal, he's a 21 year old rookie defenseman. And our NHL ready depth at the position group is so poor, that it would be shocking if he didn't seize an NHL roster spot. But he hasn't done that yet.

He could have easily played this season in the NHL.

 

[chethejet]

Dubas is moving to the system more and more as the team transition to the next time the Pens will be a true competitor for a deep playoff run. But he can still really impact the roster this year with the additions of the younger players. I like the Nashville swap for picking 5th. But Nashville wants a center as well so that's out. Hope either Martin or O'Brien are there at 11. McGroarty, Koivunen, Pickering, Broz are making the team. Ponomarev, Brunicke, can depending on the moves Dubas makes. Timmons is resigned, especially if Karlsson is moved. St Ivany probably is the third pairing RD with Graves. He got healthy and was playing very well towards the end last year.