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Penguins Sign Harrison Brunicke

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A week after signing Tanner Howe, the Penguins have now agreed to terms with the top pick from their draft class last month.  The team announced that they’ve signed defenseman Harrison Brunicke to a three-year, entry-level contract.  The team did not disclose financial terms but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal will carry a cap hit of $875K and does not contain any performance bonuses.

[Related: 2024 NHL Draft Signing Tracker]

The 18-year-old was the 44th selection last month, going two spots ahead of Howe.  Brunicke recorded 10 goals and 11 assists in 49 games last season with WHL Kamloops, leading his team in goals scored by a blueliner.  The South Africa native plays for Canada internationally and picked up a goal and three assists in seven games at the World Under-18s, helping his team to a gold medal.

As is often the case with players signing this quickly after being drafted, Brunicke won’t actually begin his entry-level contract next season unless he plays in ten or more games with Pittsburgh.  That’s unlikely to be the outcome at this point as he’ll likely return to the Blazers for the 2024-25 campaign (and likely one more after that).  Assuming that happens, Brunicke’s deal will slide and still have three years remaining on it next summer.

Penguins Likely To Sign One Or Two More Players

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Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk joined the Cam and Strick Podcast and spoke about his midseason trade request from the Boston Bruins, saying that he’d actually asked for a trade as far back as the summer of 2021 after he’d been a healthy scratch in the playoffs. DeBrusk said that he felt a fresh start would have been good last year but is happy to have one in Vancouver this summer after he signed a seven-year $38.5MM contract with the Canucks on July 1.

DeBrusk added that he had quite a few suitors when the market opened but ultimately signed with Vancouver for a number of reasons, highlighting Vancouver’s recent playoff run as a big influence on his decision. The Edmonton, Alberta native will have a chance to play closer to home with some very talented players and will be looking to bounce back from a down year last season in which he tallied just 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games with the Bruins.

In other evening notes:

  • The Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL announced that they’ve added former NHL head coach Scott Gordon to their coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Gordon has served as an NHL head coach for both the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders and was an assistant coach the last two seasons for the San Jose Sharks. The 61-year-old Gordon has been coaching for nearly 30 years and has held several AHL head coaching gigs and was an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2011 to 2014. The Brockton, Massachusetts native won a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics as an assistant coach for the United States serving under Ron Wilson in Vancouver.
  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic believes that the Pittsburgh Penguins will add one or two more players before the start of the regular season and says that they are unlikely to be impact players. The Penguins were busy on the first few days of free agency adding a pile of players onto their depth chart on short-term deals and any other addition figures to be on a one- or two-year deal. The Penguins have a glaring hole in their top six at left wing but will likely use Drew O’Connor in the top spot to see if he can build off his solid finish last season. The Penguins unsuccessfully took a run at Vladimir Tarasenko in free agency which signals they aren’t satisfied with their top-line options at the moment.

Top Prospects Could Give Penguins One Last Push

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have, over the last two years, missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in Sidney Crosby’s career. The team has ground to a screeching halt, on the back of one of the oldest rosters in the league and a slim supporting cast for team legends Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Even the addition of Erik Karlsson wasn’t enough to pull Pittsburgh back into the postseason – leaving the team a bit stuck in the mud with little cap space and even less roster space. With no major free-agent additions in sight, Pittsburgh’s search for an X-factor will have to turn towards their recent crop of strong draft picks.

Brayden Yager notably headlines this group, with the Penguins already sharing that Yager will receive a shot at the NHL lineup next season. That opportunity certainly seems timely, with Yager coming off the back of a resilient season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. Serving as the team’s captain, Yager marched his way to 35 goals and 95 points in 57 games this season – adding an additional 27 points in 20 playoff games. He proudly served as Moose Jaw’s top-line centerman and starring playmaker, excelling at making plays at top speed – a style that thrived  on a team costarred by fellow NHL prospects Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, and Matthew Savoie. Yager’s tempo and poise were enough to dodge much physicality this year, leaving him a clear heft barrier between him and the NHL, though his ability to dish the puck is clearly reaching a pro level.

Yager isn’t the only starring prospect capable of a pro push – with top WHL defender Owen Pickering also gearing up for a big year. Pickering signed his entry-level contract at the end of 2022-23, though he opted to return to the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos this season.

That proved to be the right choice, as Pickering managed a career-high 46 points in 59 games this season – one more point than he totaled last year – while serving as the team’s captain for a second year. The hefty, sharp-moving defender appeared in eight AHL games last season, though he wasn’t able to record his first pro point. That will be his immediate goal entering the 2024-25 campaign, though his size, physical edge even with the puck on his stick, and quick taste of pro hockey could give him the tools needed to quickly adjust to the next level. Pickering undoubtedly faces a long road to the NHL lineup,  sat behind a bolstered left-side with Pittsburgh’s additions of Matt Grzelcyk and Sebastian Aho. But injuries or slow starts could be enough to encourage Pittsburgh to see what they have in their top defense prospect.

Wingers Tristan Broz and Ville Koivunen, as well as centerman Vasili Ponomarev, round out Pittsburgh’s list of capable youngsters – with each player managing strong scoring through last season, in the NCAA, Liiga, and AHL respectively. Each of the trio boast strong individual talents – Broz his drive with the puck, Koivunen his shot, and Ponomarev his grit – though they’ve struggled to put their talents to consistent effect. Ponomarev sits as the closest to the NHL lineup, having scored two points in two NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes last year in addition to his 30 points in 45 AHL games. It was clear he knew how to use his hard-nosed drive to good effect, which could go a long way towards boosting his NHL odds. Koivunen carries a similar physical edge – not seeking out contact like Ponomarev but doing well at making plays through traffic – while physical play will be Broz’s biggest adjustment.

The Penguins have made just three first-round picks since 2015 and are now heavily feeling the effects. Luckily, two of those top picks are hoping for smash beginnings to their pro careers  next season. Lucrative trading and late-round successes have given Yager and Pickering a strong supporting cast. Each prospect will look to take important steps towards the NHL lineup at Pittsburgh’s training camp, while the Penguins keep their fingers crossed that young energy is enough to return them to the postseason before Crosby calls it quits.

Sergei Murashov To Decide Soon Where He'll Play Next Season

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Penguins prospect Sergei Murashov told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he plans to make a decision soon on where he’ll play next season.  The 20-year-old spent most of last season with Yaroslavl’s junior team and fared quite well, posting a .930 SV% in 34 regular season games and a .927 mark in 19 playoff contests.  Murashov was a fourth-round pick in 2022 and his contract is now expired although Yaroslavl still has control of his rights.  He’ll have to decide as to whether to stay with them, try to find another team in Russia (one that could give him more KHL ice time), or if the time is right to come to North America and play in Pittsburgh’s system.

Morning Notes: Penguins, Casey, McGroarty

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Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now writes that he feels the Pittsburgh Penguins should consider an offer sheet to one of the many teams that are in tough regarding the salary cap. Kingerski feels the Penguins could target Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti, and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Philip Broberg or forward Dylan Holloway.

If Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas opted to submit an offer sheet it would mark a departure from his plan to acquire draft picks with an eye towards the future. The Penguins also have just $3.5MM in salary cap space available, making a push for Jarvis very unlikely. Perfetti could be an option as the Penguins have a hole in their top-six forward group and an offer sheet north of $3MM would fall in the range of what Perfetti will likely sign for next season. However, the obvious issue would be that the Jets would likely match the offer as they have the cap space to do so and Perfetti is coming off a 19-goal season. Offer sheets are rarely used in the NHL and given the state of the Penguins, it seems unlikely they will do so this summer.

In other morning notes:

  • James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now writes that New Jersey Devils defensive prospect Seamus Casey opted to hold off signing his entry-level contract with the Devils because he wanted to have a full three years on the deal and wasn’t in a rush to jump into an NHL game. Casey added that he wanted to take a different approach and was concerned about his development when he opted not to sign after his college season ended. Casey was the Devils’ second-round pick in 2022 (46th overall) and will be in tough to make the NHL lineup this year as the Devils have been busy adding defensemen this summer including Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Johnathan Kovacevic.
  • Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press joined Winnipeg Sports Talk and explained what he thinks the holdup to a potential Rutger McGroarty trade could be. The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly been shopping the 20-year-old since the NHL entry draft and according to McIntyre, they were close to a trade with another team at one point but the other team might have had reservations because of the same issues the Jets are having with the former first-round pick. Neither McGroarty’s camp, nor the Jets have spoken publicly about why there is a riff between the two sides, but as Scott Billick writes in the Winnipeg Sun, it is likely due to a disagreement about McGroarty’s development path.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Tanner Howe To Entry-Level Contract

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A former linemate of Connor Bedard in the Western Hockey League has signed on with the team that drafted him almost two weeks ago. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have signed winger Tanner Howe to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Howe was selected with the 46th overall pick by the Penguins organization in the 2024 NHL Draft and was quickly signed to an entry-level deal after a noticeable development camp showing. The young forward made his presence known as he regularly became the instigator in net-front battles and had two goals to show for it.

During the 2022-23 WHL season, Howe found himself on a line with Bedard while playing for the Regina Pats. He came a perfect complimentary piece to Bedard as an annoying pest on the ice and scored 36 goals and 85 points in 67 games while putting up another two goals and four points in seven postseason contests. After Bedard left Regina to join the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2023-24 NHL season, Howe became the new captain of the organization.

He proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he could perform without Bedard down the middle as Howe scored 28 goals and 77 points in 68 games. Unfortunately, the Pats were unable to qualify for the 2024 WHL playoffs meaning his season came to an end after the regular season concluded. Howe has been a bit quiet on the international stage for Team Canada as he’s played in a total of 11 games for Canada’s under-18 World Junior Championship squad the past two years but only has one assist to show for it.

It’s unlike that Howe will play for any team in the Penguins’ organization next season and may even spend another year in the WHL with the Regina Pats. However, there is a case to be made that Howe’s physical game is mature enough to play for the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Wherever Howe winds up for the 2024-25 season, Pittsburgh has a definite middle-six prospect in the making if his development continues on its current trajectory.

Penguins Hire Wes Clark As Vice President Of Player Personnel

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Another high-ranking member of the Toronto Maple Leafs is leaving the organization for the Pittsburgh Penguins as the team announced it has hired Wes Clark as the vice president of player personnel. The news came shortly after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Clark would be leaving the Maple Leafs organization.

Clark has spent the last six years of his career working as the director of amateur scouting and director of player personnel. The Maple Leafs have drafted the likes of Nicholas Robertson, Matthew Knies, and Easton Cowan under Clark while only making three selections in the first round of the NHL Draft. Clark also served briefly as an amateur scout with the Florida Panthers before returning to the Original Six organization.

In his new role with the Penguins organization, Clark will oversee the team’s amateur, professional, and European/international free agent scouting departments and will report directly to his old boss, Kyle Dubas. In the public announcement of Clark’s hire, Dubas said, “Having worked with Wes for many years, I have a deep trust in his ability to identify talent, lead staffs, advance our scouting process and methods, learn from mistakes to improve processes and to challenge my own thinking and planning on a near daily basis“.

With a middling team at the NHL level, Pittsburgh must be able to make the most of their draft picks for the next several years. The end of the Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang era is looming large over the Penguins’ organization and the team must balance the end of their illustrious careers with the future without them. According to CapFriendly, Pittsburgh has 24 draft selections in total over the next three NHL Drafts and may add to that collection of picks over the next few seasons.

Penguins’ AHL Affiliate Signs Dan Renouf

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The Penguins are gaining some veteran organizational depth on the back end, with their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton announcing the signing of defenseman Dan Renouf to a one-year deal today. Renouf can still sign a deal with any NHL club, but he projects to start the season on the farm with Pittsburgh’s prospects.

Renouf didn’t see any NHL action last season and made only one appearance with the Bruins in 2022-23, although he’s also seen NHL ice in the 2016-17, 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns with the Avalanche and Red Wings. The two-time Calder Cup champion was a UFA this summer after completing a two-year, two-way deal with Boston that paid him an AHL salary of $400K each season. He has three assists and a -6 rating in his 24 career NHL appearances.

The 30-year-old has been an AHL fixture since signing with Detroit as an undrafted free agent in 2016, skating in over 450 minor league games over nine seasons. He’s served as a physical, defensively sound presence and logged heavy minutes for farm clubs in Charlotte, Colorado, Grand Rapids and Providence, posting 118 career points (19 goals, 99 assists) with 577 PIMs and a +102 rating. The left-shot defender plays bigger than his 6’1″, 198-lb frame suggests.

He addresses a major need for experience on the Baby Pens’ blue line next season, which was only set to boast 27-year-old Ryan Shea and his fewer than 200 games of AHL service as its elder statesmen. He’ll likely serve as a mentor to Pittsburgh’s big-fish blue-line prospect in 20-year-old Owen Pickering – the 6’5″ 2022 first-rounder will play in his first full pro season in 2024-25, likely with WBS.

Penguins, Sidney Crosby Making Progress On Extension

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After beginning formal extension discussions late last month, the Penguins are close to keeping their franchise cornerstone in the mix for a few more years. Sources tell The Athletic’s Rob Rossi that Pittsburgh should formalize an extension for captain Sidney Crosby in the coming days. The three-time Stanley Cup champion could earn an AAV as high as $10MM on a three-year deal, Rossi indicated back in April.

Crosby, 37 next month, is coming off arguably his best season in quite some time. Over his 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, he’s passed the 40-goal mark three times – including last year. He placed top 10 in Hart Trophy voting for first time since 2021 and top 10 in Selke Trophy balloting as well for the first time since falling just short of being a finalist in 2019. He hasn’t hit the century mark in points since 2018-19, but he did still churn out 42 goals and 52 assists for 94 points while playing in all 82 games for the second straight season – the first time he’s done that – to lead the Pens in every offensive category by a wide margin.

The all-time great is entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4MM extension signed immediately upon becoming eligible for one in 2012, a deal that’s seen him play the healthiest hockey of his career. The 5’11” pivot missed a good chunk of what would have been his prime seasons due to concussions, playing only 99 out of 212 regular season games between the 2010-11 and 2012-13 seasons. Since then, injuries have held him out for more than 10 games in a campaign only twice.

The sooner a deal gets signed, the sooner speculation quiets down that Crosby may finish his career anywhere else than Pittsburgh. That’s one of the primary reasons for getting an extension done early this summer, as a league and team source told Rossi that the pending deal is viewed as “a commitment to Pittsburgh” by both Crosby and the Pens’ front office, led by general manager Kyle Dubas.

A cap hit starting with a 10 would be the richest of Crosby’s career, which may seem puzzling as he ages, but it’s likely fair value considering their inability to frontload a new deal as they did with his previous extension, which only paid him $3MM in actual salary in each of the past two seasons and will do so again this year. It’s right in line with his market value, too – Evolving Hockey projects a three-year, $10.82MM AAV deal for Sid the Kid if he inks an extension this month. A full no-move clause, as he had for all 12 seasons of his previous deal, should be expected.

Crosby’s extension won’t quite fall under the same rules as a normal contract. He’ll be given a 35+ contract due to his age, which prevents the Pens from reducing his cap hit by giving him a signing bonus in the second or third season or otherwise front-loading the contract with salary.

Multi-year 35+ contracts aren’t all that common solely because of a player’s age, but they do happen. Former Stars defenseman Ryan Suter is a recent example, inking a four-year deal that was actually backloaded, paying him more salary in the last two years of the deal than in the first two years. That allowed the cap hit to be calculated as normal, equating to the actual average annual value of the contract ($3.65MM). It also allowed them to buy out Suter this offseason and actually receive a cap benefit from doing so. Expect Crosby’s deal to carry a similar backloaded structure or award him even compensation across all three years.

As for the Pens’ roster construction, getting cost certainty on a Crosby extension is imperative for Dubas as he attempts to retool on the fly and get Pittsburgh back to playoff contention in his captain’s final few seasons. They’ve missed the postseason for two years in a row, their first time missing the playoffs in the Crosby era since his 2005-06 rookie season.

[RELATED: Penguins Options To Play On Sidney Crosby’s Line]

With Matthew Nieto expected to start 2024-25 on long-term injured reserve while he recovers from knee surgery, giving Dubas $4.42MM in cap space left to work with this summer – for now. While they’ve had some turnover among their depth defensemen and forwards, they’re expected to run it back with the same top-six forward group and top-four defenders that they ended 2023-24 with. The Penguins are hoping those additions, which include Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Grzelcyk and Kevin Hayes, are enough to make up the three-point gap that kept them out of a wild-card spot in the East last season.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Penguins Options To Play On Sidney Crosby’s Line

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The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly took a swing at acquiring veteran free agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko to play in their top-six forward group alongside Sidney Crosby but lost out on his services to the Detroit Red Wings. Tarasenko signed a two-year $9.5MM deal with the Red Wings and the Penguins’ interest indicates that they aren’t satisfied with their top two lines as they head into what is likely to be a transitional season for the franchise. The Penguins have Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Michael Bunting returning next season and finished last season with youngster Drew O’Connor replacing Jake Guentzel on the top line as Crosby’s left winger.

O’Connor played well for the Penguins, but he would be better served as a third liner in an ideal world. But given the Penguins’ lack of cap space, and apparent eye towards the future, none of their options will be ideal, but they do have some options when it comes to Crosby’s left winger next season.

Trade Options

Nikolaj Ehlers: Ehlers hasn’t been given an opportunity to be a top-line player with the Winnipeg Jets despite being one of their most effective players. He is the type of player that has thrived with Crosby historically, as he has high-end skill, is a high-level thinker, and is very deceptive and skilled at finding open space. The issue with Ehlers is that he is a year from free agency and the price tag to acquire him will be far too high for the Penguins’ taste given their apparent pivot to acquiring draft picks and younger players.  Murat Ates of The Athletic reported a few weeks ago that Ehlers isn’t likely to extend in Winnipeg but given his age and recent injury history, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins acquiring and extending him long-term.

Patrik Laine: The 26-year-old has fallen on hard times in recent years with the Columbus Blue Jackets but remains an intriguing option on the trade market. Laine is a former second-overall pick who has dealt with injuries in recent seasons but can still score when he is healthy. The Tampere, Finland native was a point-a-game player from 2021-23 but had just nine points in 18 games last season. While the drop in offensive production is alarming, Laine averaged almost four minutes less per game in ice time and wasn’t playing with a skilled center. That being said, his injury issues are a concern and could reduce the cost of acquiring him from Columbus. Laine is a liability defensively and doesn’t necessarily compete on every shift, however, if he were to play on the Penguins’ top line, he would be the best pure goal scorer that Crosby has ever played with.

Unrestricted Free Agent Options

Max Pacioretty: The 35-year-old Pacioretty is well removed from his days as a perennial 30-goal scorer as injuries and the aging curve have slowed down his production. Last year he dressed in 47 games tallying four goals and 19 assists while registering a -14. Pacioretty’s offensive numbers don’t look terrible at first glance, however, nearly half his points came on the power play as he tallied just two goals and 10 assists at even strength. Pacioretty won’t be expensive to sign on a one-year deal, but he hasn’t played more than 47 games in three seasons and his body likely wouldn’t be able to withstand the stress of playing almost 20 minutes a night next to Crosby.

James van Riemsdyk: van Riemsdyk is another former 30-goal scorer on the wrong side of 35 but is coming off a decent offensive season with the Boston Bruins. The Middletown, New Jersey native posted 11 goals and 27 assists last season in 71 games and wasn’t a burden on his teammates. The former second overall pick doesn’t have the pace to play in the top six anymore and would likely be a non-factor in transition which would be a big problem playing with Crosby. JVR could work on the Penguins’ power play and would give the team a net-front presence that they’ve lacked since trading Patric Hornqvist in 2020, however, he might not be physical enough at this point to be effective in the role. At this stage of his career, van Riemsdyk is best served as a fourth-line winger, something the Penguins have more than enough of.

Internal Options

Drew O’Connor: is coming off a career year in which he posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 79 games (all career highs). While those numbers aren’t earth-shattering, they are a remarkable improvement on his previous career year in 2022-23 when he posted just five goals and six assists in 46 games. O’Connor is not a pure offensive player and doesn’t possess strong passing skills or a great, however, he is fast and physical and plays a smart game. All traits they were possessed by one of Crosby’s former long-time wingers Chris Kunitz. O’Connor might be the easiest option for Pittsburgh to slide in alongside Crosby and might be the one they have to use if they don’t facilitate another transaction.

Brayden Yager: Pittsburgh’s 2023 first-round pick (14th overall) is coming off an incredible season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors in which he posted 35 goals and 60 assists in 57 games. He is likely a season or two away from being ready for the NHL, but the Penguins might opt to give him a nine-game audition to see what they have in the youngster. Yager is a sneaky good shooter and is excellent at taking passes in his shooting pocket, allowing him to fire off shots quickly and accurately. If he can show in training camp that he deserves a longer look he could play his way onto Crosby’s wing for at least a few games if not longer.

Crosby’s Next Winger

The Penguins had issues finding Crosby a linemate early in his career but eventually found a perfect match with Jake Guentzel. Now with Guentzel signed long-term in Tampa Bay, the Penguins are tasked with finding new linemates for Crosby in what will be the final stretch of his NHL career. While all of the options above present some downside, the Penguins are unlikely to find another Guentzel-like player and will need to make some type of concession heading into next season while keeping an eye on the future.

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