There are some exciting developments down on the farm for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With more talent in the system than they've had in recent memory, the Penguins have several prospects of interest to keep an eye on. We will take a look at how some of the organization's top forward prospects are faring right now in our February prospects update.
Rutger McGroarty
Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesFor those who have followed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and McGroarty this season, they know that the process has been there the entire season. There was a bit of an adjustment curve for McGroarty, whose process needed to result in production at some point.
That point seems to have arrived.
McGroarty has two goals and seven points in his last five games, and, after having just three points in his first 12 games, he has seven goals and 25 points in 34 games since.
Penguins Assistant General Manager - and General Manager of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - said that McGroarty's slow start helped him develop the defensive side of his game. And now the production is catching up, he's a threat everywhere on the ice.
"I think he's been a huge success story for us right now in terms of just continually getting better," Spezza said. "There's still a ways to go consistency-wise, but he's been playing very well for, probably, over two months now. It's the little things in his game that show up.
"I think he's the type of guy that, as the games get bigger, he will have bigger moments because of his details."
Ville Koivunen
Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn ImagesKoivunen is really turning heads in the AHL this season. The 21-year-old leads all AHL rookies in scoring with 44 points in 48 games. He has 16 goals, and he's been showing a pretty seamless adjustment to the AHL level that wasn't necessarily expected so quickly.
His playmaking smarts are on display. He's got a shot that should play at the NHL level. And he's a high-IQ offensive player.
All that said, the organization does want him to round out certain parts of his game on the other side of the puck. He has been making improvements throughout the season, though, and Spezza pointed out how big the coming summer will be for Koivunen, who needs to get stronger and more primed for the grind of the NHL season.
Still, they are impressed with the young Finnish winger and excited about what they have in him.
"There's still ups and downs in his game because he's a young player playing a lot of hockey," Spezza said. "But his brain is his best quality. I think he's really smart, has a great hockey sense... and he's done a good job using it."
There's an outside shot at Koivunen seeing some NHL minutes this season, but it's more likely that his timeline is the 2025-26 season.
Tristan Broz
Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn ImagesIt's unfortunate that Broz, 22, had an entire month and a half of his first professional season interrupted because of mononucleosis.
However, Broz came back on Feb. 7 and looked like he hadn't missed a beat.
In the nine games since his return, he has three goals. He has 15 goals and 23 points in 36 games on the season as a rookie, and the Penguins - as an organization - are very impressed with Broz's progress throughout the season, especially in the goal-scoring department.
In fact, Spezza even suggested that Broz is the player who has made the most positive progress this season.
"He's been a guy that there's a lot of positivity around... very coachable, works hard, cares a lot about his game," Spezza said. "And it sucks that he got mono, because he had really come in and was playing good hockey. He's a guy we've been happy with."
Had he not contracted mono, Broz may have been one of the guys folks could have seen before the end of the season. In any case, fans - and the organization - should be very encouraged and excited about Broz's progress.
Vasily Ponomarev
Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesPonomarev - who has seen two very brief NHL stints this season - is recently coming off of a one-game suspension for glove-punching Hershey Bears forward Pierrick Dube.
He has been one of Wilkes-Barre's most productive players this season, registering 11 goals and 31 points in 37 games - including five goals and 12 points in his last 12 games.
The Penguins like the consistency and two-way prowess they are seeing from Ponomarev - who, along with Koivunen - was acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade last spring - but they also want him to develop more of an awareness on when and when not to push the grittier side of his game.
In any case, he's still likely to be one of the first call-ups to the NHL club, and they like his versatility and overall game.
"He's very driven and just wants to make the NHL," Spezza said. "He's trying to do whatever possible."
Avery Hayes
Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesHayes has been, arguably, the biggest surprise for the Baby Penguins this season. After a strong showing in training camp, Hayes - like McGroarty - got off to a slow start.
But that hasn't been the case at all lately.
Hayes has nine goals and 20 points in his last seven games - which includes a recent six-game point streak - and he has 15 goals and 30 points in 36 games this season. The 22-year-old forward has spent a lot of time on a line with McGroarty and on the first power play unit this season, and it has paid off.
The catch with Hayes is that he is not signed to an NHL contract - meaning he can be signed by the Penguins or anyone else to an NHL contract. Hayes showed a lot of flashes of potential in the OHL before ascending to the AHL level, and he has broken out in a big way this season.
I would venture to guess that this is a guy the Penguins want to keep - but their hand may be forced to act fast before someone else snags him.
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