After five days, development camp for the Pittsburgh Penguins has finally reached its conclusion.
And - although it’s, generally, hard to pull anything definitive from this camp - there were some nuggets here and there that could offer a bit of a glimpse into the Penguins’ future.
Between a few camp standouts and a larger pool of talent in general, there was a good bit more buzz surrounding development camp than there has been in years prior. Coaches, media, and fans got their first look at the 13 players from the 2025 draft class in action, and there were also some camp veterans who showed signs of growth from last year’s event.
Suffice to say, there was a bit more of a competitive aspect to camp that has, maybe, been more so lacking in years past.
"Everyone here is competing for a spot," said Will Horcoff, who was drafted 24th overall by the Penguins this year. "Everyone's super competitive, so it's making everyone better. If everyone gives 100 percent effort - which they are - things will get a little chippy, and that's great. Without that, you aren't getting any better, so I think it's great that everyone competes hard."
Here are five observations from Penguins’ development camp.
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Harrison Brunicke looks pro-ready
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Brunicke, 19, both before development camp and during. And for good reason.
Of course, development camp isn’t the tip-top level of competition and ferocity that training camp is, so it’s worth noting that the expectation was for a player like Brunicke to stand out among the rest. Brunicke - captain for Team Patrick - was also set to return for his second development camp, which is one more than many of the players in attendance.
That said, he really did show that he was just a slight level above everyone else at this camp. During game two of the tournament on Monday against Team Johnston, the 6-foot-3, 202-pound blueliner sniped a shot from the slot with the extra attacker and 8.9 seconds on the clock to force a shootout, which would determine who got the chance to move on to the final.
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After Ben Kindel (Team Patrick) and Cruz Lucius (Team Johnston) scored on their attempts - and Will Horcoff (Team Johnston) had missed on his - Brunicke capitalized on his with a pinpoint snapshot to the glove side to seal the deal, as Oliver Tulk was stopped on Team Johnston’s third attempt.
I already wrote a piece on how Brunicke has limited options - juniors or NHL - next season due to his AHL and NCAA ineligibility. I asked Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos about the AHL ineligibility rule and if it presents any developmental challenges for a player in Brunicke’s position - one who is, likely, ready for the jump to professional hockey.
“I think so. That's a good question," Kostopoulos said. "I think it's something that the league should look at, because he's probably played his way out of junior hockey and might be ready for a step up. I'm not in charge of those rules, but you're probably right."
Brunicke will, very obviously, be one of the biggest stories to watch in training camp, as he nearly made the NHL roster last season as an 18-year-old. We’ll see what happens on the trade front for the Penguins the rest of the summer, too, but don’t discount the possibility of Brunicke at least getting the nine-game trial.
Keep an eye on Will Horcoff
If there was one name brought up almost as much as Brunicke’s it was Will Horcoff’s.
The Penguins’ 24th overall pick in this year’s draft was the youngest player in the NCAA last season, when the 6-foot-4, 190-pound center put up four goals and 10 points in 17 games for the University of Michigan. During camp, he was noticeable in a lot of ways.
He cut around defenders without much issue, his skating was smooth, and he scored a few slick goals - including two in Monday’s tournament for Team Johnston - that really put his soft hands and his skill on display.
When I spoke with Horcoff Sunday, he said that the goal at development camp was to see how the pros train. Given how young he was relative to his NCAA peers last season, it’s fair to assume that picking up on some of the habits of Pittsburgh's veterans will only help him get better and, hopefully, be even more productive for Michigan next season.
"I got to see Sid a couple days ago," Horcoff said. "He was out on the ice by himself, then he was in the workout room by himself, so just seeing how hard he works, I can take something away from that to bring back to Michigan."
Many fans scoffed at the Horcoff pick as a reach. While it’s way too early to be making any kind of judgment call on that, there seems to, at least, be some legitimate talent there.
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Camp just keeps on growing… and so does the Penguins’ developmental staff
One of the topics that was touched on Monday during Kostopoulos’s second media availability of camp was the growth of development camp as a whole.
There were 52 invites to camp this season - including the four injured players in Tanner Howe, Luke Devlin, Maleek McGowan, and Zam Plante - which is more than the Penguins have ever had at this event. Kostopoulos credited the Penguins’ scouting department and his developmental staff, who identified some of the undrafted and collegiate talent that received invitations.
But he stressed that a lot of the credit goes toward the actual growth of the developmental staff as a whole, which is something that GM and POHO Kyle Dubas mentioned during the draft. The ability to invite more players directly correlates with both the influx of talent in the system and the team’s ability to accommodate those players through sheer numbers.
“My staff is amazing,” Kostopoulos said. “The development staff is fantastic. I feel like the L.A. Dodgers. I’ve got a lineup full of overly qualified people that I can use to send out to visit our prospects, that I can use in Wheeling, Wilkes-Barre, and Pittsburgh.
“I think that ownership and management has built out a ton of resources available to players that can only help them. And, if the players are willing to use that to help them develop, that’s where we’re seeing growth in some of the players. It’s been a lot of fun to watch the growth in the staff, then resulting in helping the players develop.”
Penguins Prospects Development Camp: Day Four RecapWe finally got to see some scrimmages between the top Pittsburgh Penguins prospects during development camp on Sunday, and they didn’t disappoint. Several players, including one from yesterday’s session, had solid days and will look to make an even bigger impact during Monday’s tournament.
Dubas, Spezza, and co. will have some tough decisions on the blue line
If one thing is for certain about this Penguins’ prospect pool, it’s that they’re pretty loaded up on the back end.
Dubas said that the organization likes where it’s at in terms of defensive prospect depth, and it’s easy to see why. Guys like Brunicke and Owen Pickering tend to dominate the headlines - which makes sense, as they are - as of now - the two closest to NHL-ready with the highest ceilings - but other players like Emil Pieniniemi, Finn Harding, Kalle Kangas, and Chase Pietila are primed to turn pro next season. There are also the 2025 draftees in Charlie Trethewey, Quinn Beauchesne, Peyton Kettles, and Brady Peddle, as well as other signees in Daniel Laatsch, Joona Vaisanen, and David Breazeale.
With all of that defensive depth, the Penguins are going to have some decisions to make regarding their rosters in not just the NHL, but also the AHL and ECHL. Some players are still juniors-eligible - with Brunicke and the draft class topping that list - while others, like Vaisanen, will likely return to the NCAA.
There are going to be some battles for roster spots during training camp, and it’s a good problem for the Penguins to have. They may not have a generational blueliner - or even a surefire top-pairing guy - waiting in the wings, but they certainly have enough prospect talent that the depth on their blue line should not be an issue for the foreseeable future.
It will be fun to see how all of that unfolds over the next few seasons.
With Breadth Of Positional Depth In The System, Penguins' Defensive Prospects Eager To Take Next StepsWhen Pittsburgh Penguins’ Prospect Development Camp began on Thursday, 48 players took the to the ice - some for the first time in black and gold, others returned to a familiar place.
The Penguins have more organizational talent than they’ve had in a long time… and people are noticing
I might be stating the obvious here, but there is more prospect talent in the Penguins’ organization than there has been since the very early years of the Sidney Crosby era - perhaps, even longer.
And it’s clear that fans are excited about it.
I covered training camp last season, and there were more fans in the building on Monday for the tournament than there were for some of the training camp days. I normally don’t have any trouble finding a parking spot at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, but I had to park in the overflow lot.
When the NHL team isn’t getting the results fans want to see, it’s natural for folks to look ahead to the future. And it was evident throughout this camp that there may, indeed, be a brighter future to look forward to.
The 2025 first-rounders - Kindel, Horcoff, and Bill Zonnon - each stood out in their own respective ways and at different times. Brunicke is a draw for fans. I heard people talking about Trethewey, who is a product of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program. Beauchesne - drafted in the fifth round (148th overall) - did not at all look like a fifth-rounder throughout this camp.
There is a lot to like about the current Penguins’ prospect pool and its direction, and fans should be excited to look ahead to the next generation of Penguins’ hockey.
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Feature image credit: Kelsey Surmacz - The Hockey News
Matthew Pouliot
