The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!
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Read past 32 series stories here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/
Make sure to check out the Pittsburgh Penguins team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/pittsburgh-penguins/
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Going into the 2025-2026 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins were coming off three consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs. The oddsmakers did not favor them to make it last year either, but General Manager Kyle Dubas was able to do what he does best, find undervalued assets. The acquisitions of Egor Chinakhov, Anthony Mantha, Justin Brazeau and breakout rookie Ben Kindel added much-needed secondary scoring to a team that desperately needed it. These additions were enough to defy the odds and finally make the playoffs once again. The Penguins went up against rival Philadelphia Flyers, the series was hard fought, but they dropped the series in six games.
While it may seem hard to call a season where you lose to a bitter rival a victory, this was a massive step in the right direction for a Pittsburgh team that looked like their playoff seasons may be numbered. The Penguins will be looking to build off the momentum 2026 season and make the playoffs once again. While they did not have the flashiest offseason, they were able to lock up Yegor Chinakhov to a three-year extension and bring in some more secondary scoring in forwards Nicholas Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko to hopefully replace the loss of Mantha.
The path to the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division will be tougher than last year with teams like the Washington Capitals making big additions, the further development of young superstar defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the hopeful healthier season from the New Jersey Devils. While making the playoffs is far from assured, Kyle Dubas has put the Pittsburgh Penguins into a position to compete.
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NHL Draft Recap
Round 1, 22nd overall: Liam Ruck, RW
L.Ruck was the first player the Pittsburgh Penguins took off the board at the 2026 NHL Draft. Liam put up a truly impressive campaign with the Medicine Hat Tigers, tallying 45 goals 59 assists and 104 points in 68 games, putting him second in WHL scoring. L.Ruck possesses a special release, as fast as he can receive the puck, he can fire right it past the goalie without hesitation. He is able to get this shot off from anywhere in the offensive zone and uses his high offensive awareness to get himself in scoring positions with ease. L.Ruck is not your typical all skill forward, he is relentless on the puck, whether it’s fore-checking back-checking or stripping a player of the puck, he is always looking to help his team. There are two knocks on his game, the first of being his foot speed. He does not possess the ability to win foot races against fast competition, but what he lacks in his feet he makes up for with his hands. L.Ruck is not a pure goal scorer, he is a great passer with elite vision and uses that in his transition play to make up for what his speed cannot. The other major knock against his game was people asking if he can repeat this kind of offensive season without his twin brother Markus. It is a fair question as we’ve never really seen them apart. Markus assisted on 62.5% of L.Ruck’s goals, that is a significant number. Thankfully for the Penguins, we likely won’t need to find that out. Not only did Pittsburgh take Markus later in the draft, but the twins will be returning to Medicine Hat in the WHL for this upcoming season and have already committed together to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season.
Round 2, 39th overall: Markus Ruck, C/LW
M.Ruck like his brother put up a monster season in the WHL. 21 goals, 87 assists and 108 points in 68 games. That total put him above his brother Liam and atop the WHL in points and assists. What M.Ruck did better than anyone in the WHL this year was Playmaking off the cycle. like his brother Liam, his skating is not his strongest attribute, but once he gets in the offensive zone M.Ruck has the ability to completely take over and dictate the game. He was able to really take his time in the offense of zone processing the play to find the best possible pass, that time in space will be harder to find as he progresses to the NCAA and then finally the NHL. The bet on a player like this is quite simple, you already know that you drafted a player that has the kind of chemistry with M.Ruck that you cannot teach and only comes with 18 years of playing together, the Pittsburgh Penguins are putting him in the position to succeed. It will be fascinating to see what he and his brother can do in the WHL this upcoming season after already being the first and second highest point scorers in the league last year, M.Ruck will have to work on his speed and hit the weight room this off-season to give him the best chance of success.
Round 2, 54th overall: Tomas Galvas, D
Galvas is one of the more recognized names out there after the first-round of the draft. At 20 years old, he has played in three consecutive World Junior Championships along with the World Championship this year. Galvas finished his final year of eligibility at the world junior championships with nine points, finishing second in tournaments scoring for defensemen. Leader in the year, Galvas played all eight games at the World Championship for Czechia, an impressive feat for a 20-year-old. Although he only put up one point, He was trusted by the coach and had an impressive showing. Galvas has one trait that stands out when you watch him, his mobility. Being 20 years old might be a downside to some, but he has already shown great poise and defensive responsibility, he should be NHL ready faster than most of those are drafted around him.
Round 3, 86th overall: Pierce Mbuyi, LW
Mbuyi led the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack with 32 goals and 75 points in 41 games. He might not be the biggest forward standing at 5-11 and 163 pounds but he plays bigger than he is. That is becoming a trend with these Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks he is very strong at both ends of the ice. Mbuyi uses his skill to beat defenders and drive hard to the the net, where he where he does the most his damage with his great shot from the slot.
Round 4, 111th overall: Parker Von Richter, D
Similarly to previously mentioned Tomas Galvas, Von Richter is another defenseman who has been passed over in the draft in the past. He split his season between Brampton Steelheads and the Barrie Colts of the OHL this year, where he put up 37 assists and 49 points in 66 games. While those numbers as a 20-year-old in the OHL might not blow you away, the slight increase in offense combined with his strong defensive and physical style of play was enough for him to finally get selected in the NHL Draft. Von Richter has committed to the University of New Hampshire for this upcoming season in the NCAA. His accountability and reliability away from the puck should earn him immediate playing time with the club.
Round 5, 160th overall: Matvei Nikonovich, G
With their final selection in the 2026 NHL Draft the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Nikonovic, a goalie. Pittsburgh already has an impressive goalie pipeline with players like Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, but what Matvei was able to accomplish in the MHL was clearly enough to make Pittsburgh comfortable adding to a strength. Nikonovich put up a wildly impressive .939 save percentage through 38 games for Lada Togliatti in the MHL.
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Off-Season Moves
Incoming
Hendrix Lapierre – acquired from the Washington Capitals – Lapierre is a interesting bet for Pittsburgh. Once a highly touted first-round pick, he hasn’t yet been able to find his footing offensively in the NHL. But even if he doesn’t find that next step offensively, he is a good two-way player that can be very useful in the bottom of your lineup.
Kaedan Korczak – acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights – Korczak is a 6-3 right handed defenseman who was trusted by both Vegas coaches throughout the season and playoffs, playing 13 games in Vegas’s run to the Stanley Cup finals. Reliable in his own zone, he is an ideal piece to fill out the bottom pair.
Declan Carlile – UFA 2 years, $1.5M AAV – Another big defenseman to shore up Pittsburgh’s depth, Carlile played important minutes for Tampa when called upon in their injury riddled season on the back end.
Trevor van Riemsdyk – UFA, 2 years, $4M AAV – TVR is a veteran of 751 NHL games and is no stranger to the Metropolitan Division where he has spent the past nine seasons between the Washington Capitals and Carolina hurricanes. Another responsible defender, Trevor will see action in the Penguins top-four this year
Andrei Kuzmenko, UFA, 1 year, $5M – Here is where Pittsburgh took it’s first shot this off-season, Kuzmenko is not known for his strong two way game, but can be relied to put up points on the powerplay. Never able to replicate his 74 point first NHL campaign with Vancouver, he should still be able to contribute to scoring at even strength and on the power play. Only giving him one year was a smart move by the Penguins as he has had trouble sticking with a franchise for long, now with his fifth team in five years.
Nicholas Robertson, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs – Robertson has a incredible shot, but has had a tough time developing his game around it. Never quite getting the trust of any coach he had in Toronto it was clearly time for a change it has been for sometime. Averaging 15 goals a year the past three seasons, this is a great addition for Pittsburgh looking to replace goals lost by Anthony Mantha departing the team
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Outgoing
Parker Wotherspoon – Traded for Kaedan Korczak -Wotherspoon put up 30 points for Pittsburgh this year, some fans found this move puzzling, but with other defensemen who can put up points they clearly wanted to go for a different archetype of player on defense
Anthony Mantha – Mantha put up a career year in his loan season with Pittsburgh putting up 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. Signed by the New Jersey Devils this off-season to a 2 year by $4.75 million dollar contract, Pittsburgh decided to not bank on last years production being worthy of a pricey extension going forward. His poor play in the playoffs for Pittsburgh likely a factor
Stuart Skinner – Originally acquired as a way to get off the Tristan Jarry contract, was not able to do any better with Pittsburgh than he was Edmonton. After a 2026 season where he had a .885 save percentage, Pittsburgh decided to let him walk to free agency where he signed with the Winnipeg Jets
Noel Acciari – Acciari had an impressive 13 goals and 25 points in 67 games as a bottom of the lineup player. Pittsburgh decided to spend money elsewhere and Noel went to the Philadelphia Flyers on a two year $2.8 million per year contract
Ryan Shea – Shea had a breakout year in his first full season in the NHL, putting up 29 assists and 35 points in 80 games on defense at the age of 29 . In his 70 NHL games prior to the season he only put up total of six points. Shea wanted term and the Edmonton Oilers gave him that with a five year deal
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Re-Signed
Nicholas Robertson – 2 years $3.25 million per year – Very fair deal for a player that scores 15 goals a year with limited ice time
Joel Blomqvist- 2 years 875,000 per year – While statistically Joel struggled last season, he is still quite young for a goalie at 24 years old. Lots of room and time to improve.
Arturs Silovs – one-year, $2,800,000 – Silovs found himself the starter for portions of the season with Pittsburgh. His play was up-and-down, so one year makes sense.
Yegor Chinakhov – 3 years $6.25 million per year – Chinakov gets paid after an impressive 36 points in 43 games this season. Contract might look steep for a player who prior to the season has never scored 30 points but this is a good bet on the young player with lots of offensive outside.
Hendrix Lapierre – 2 years $1.3 million per year
Conner Dewar – 2 years $2.25 million per year – Well deserve extension after a 30 point performance in the bottom of the Pittsburgh lineup
Evgeni Malkin – 1 year $5.5 Million – Malkin extended for another season of a sweetheart deal. He had over a point per game last season shows no sign this next season should be any different putting up at least a 60 point pace in his lastthree seasons.
Tommy Novak – 3 years, $4.65 million per year – Novak is an effective middle-six scoring forward who averages around 40 points per season. He is not the strongest in the faceoff dot, but he works hard enough offensively to justify staying at center. At $4.65 million per year, this is a very fair contract considering the rising salary cap and should become even more valuable as the cap continues to grow.
Potentially the wildest deal of the off-season that could look great or awful
Ville Koivunen, 8 years, $4 million per year
One of the most shocking re-signings of the off-season, many expected Koivunen to sign for $1-2 million per year on a short-term deal, but General Manager Kyle Dubas decided to take a gamble. Eight years at $4 million per season is a major commitment for a 23-year-old player who scored just two goals and seven points in his first extended look in the NHL.
The upside is clear. Koivunen was one of the most dynamic offensive players in the AHL and finished fifth in the league in points per game. The concern is that he has not shown that same offensive ability at the NHL level. With the salary cap continuing to rise, Pittsburgh clearly felt this was a bet worth taking. If Koivunen can even develop into a reliable third-line player, this deal could look fantastic in a few years. The contract structure also gives Pittsburgh some protection if the gamble does not work out, as Koivunen can be bought out before the 2028 off-season at a reduced penalty.
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In the System
Risers
Ilyin had a Terrific season in the KHL, Scoring 44 points in 68 games. That total put him second in the league in scoring for players 21 and younger, outscoring highly regarded prospects like Alexander Zharovsky and Yegor Surin. While he played a handful less games than both, he was able to gain his coach’s trust faster. After his KHL season ended, Ilyin came over to the AHL for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ playoff run, scoring a respectable 9 points in 15 games while adjusting to the North American game. Next step will be seeing if he can put up big numbers in his first full year in the AHL this year.
Will Horcoff
Already a known name in the Pittsburgh Penguins farm system, being a first-round pick just last year, Horcoff went on an early-season goal-scoring run in the NCAA that surprised everybody. When he was drafted he was known for being a big responsible forward capable at both ends of the ice, but this year he exploded for 25 goals and 39 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan. Leading the league in goals for the first part of the year, he slowed down a bit near the end and finished in a five-way tie for second. Returning to the University of Michigan this upcoming season, he will look to be one of if not the best player in the league.
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Fallers
Rutger McGroarty
Big things were expected of McGroarty after being selected 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. At the AHL level, he took a significant step forward this past season, improving from 0.65 points per game in 2024-25 to 1.13 in 2025-26. However, whenever McGroarty was called up to Pittsburgh, he struggled to replicate that production, scoring six points in 24 NHL games.
At 22 years old, McGroarty still has time to develop into the player many expected him to become, but the majority of the players selected around him have already established themselves in the NHL. That does not mean McGroarty cannot still get there, but his inability to translate his AHL production to the NHL has caused his stock to fall.
Peyton Kettles
The fall in Kettles’ value as a prospect is not his fault. He got injured early in the year and only played a total of five regular season games in the WHL. Missing this kind of significant time at his young age is very detrimental for a prospect development. He can shoot right backup rankings with a good season this year. We’ve seen better Prospect than him completely fall off the rails when missing an entire season this early on, not a death sentence but needs to be seen how he plays next year.
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Likely to see NHL action
Sergei Murashov
One of the best goalie prospects in the NHL, expect Sergei to get every opportunity to play NHL games this year. He should start as a backup, but has the potential to take over the starting job by the end of the year if things go right. Could be a great sleeper at the end of your fantasy drafts
Harrison Brunicke
A true do-it-all defenseman, expect Harrison to start in the AHL, but will be top of the call-up options with injuries.
Rutger McGroarty
McGroarty certainly has more to give than what we saw from him in the NHL last season. As a highly touted prospect, he will be given another opportunity to prove he belongs at the NHL level.
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Top 20 prospects
This section is intended to paint a picture of the Pittsburgh Penguins prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.
- Bill Zonnon
- Harrison Brunicke
- Sergei Murashov
- William Horcoff
- Rutger McGroarty
- Liam Ruck
- Mikhail Ilyin
- Markus Ruck
- Owen Pickering
- Joel Blomqvist
- Pierce Mbuyi
- Tristan Broz
- Avery Hayes
- Tanner Howe
- Zam Plante
- Tomas Galvas
- Quinn Beauchesne
- Peyton Kettles
- Kale Dach
- Charlie Trethewey
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Final Thoughts
It is hard to say definitively if the Pittsburgh Penguins are better this upcoming year than last. What you can say is that their Prospect system is in the best shape it has been in a very long time. I am sure fans of the club were hoping for a big splash to help keep the team stay in playoff contention, instead they got depth pieces, some boom-or-bust bets in Nicholas Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko and a responsible defenseman or two. Will this be enough to make the playoffs in 2026-2027? Maybe, but the future of this team looks more promising than it has in a while and with a weak Metropolitan Division it might be enough. With the depth of the Prospect pool, if Kyle Dubas does decide to make a big swing he has no lack of ammunition, giving the team flexibility no matter how the season goes.
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Thank you for reading, find me @josh_Libfeld on X to keep up with the WHL and NHL Draft this season
Josh Libfeld