The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are giving Pittsburgh something to watch early in the 2026-27 season.
While the NHL club has had its own issues finding consistency, the AHL side is out to a 3-2-1 start through six games, and a handful of the organization’s young players are making their presence felt fast.
At the top of that list are Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty. Both forwards have nine points apiece, which as of Sunday put them tied for third in AHL scoring. Behind them, Atley Calvert has eight points, Mikhail Ilyin has seven, Tristan Broz has six, Bill Zonnon has five, and defenseman Jake Livanavage has five points in five games.
Hayes, 24, has been all over the ice for WBS. He has scored in four of six games, has two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal, and continues to give the Penguins value in every situation. That kind of versatility has made him a key piece again early on.
McGroarty’s start has been just as loud. The 22-year-old opened the season with the NHL club, but he did not appear in a game before being sent back to WBS after injured players returned. He has taken off since, scoring three power-play goals, averaging a team-high five shots per game and posting both a four-point game and a three-point game already.
The chemistry between Hayes and McGroarty has carried over from last season. They’ve been flanking Broz on the first line, and that trio combined for six points in Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Cleveland Monsters.
Calvert is another name rising quickly. The 23-year-old signed a two-year NHL entry-level contract this summer and is building on the production he’s shown over the last two seasons. In 102 career AHL games, the undrafted center has 28 goals and 60 points, and his two-way game is starting to stand out in the competition for future NHL call-ups.
Zonnon, the 22nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is also off to a strong start in his first full AHL season. He has been centering a third line with Tanner Howe and Calvert, and his all-around game has looked ready for this level.
Then there’s Livanavage, the 6-foot, 186-pound left defenseman signed out of the University of North Dakota late in the 2025-26 season. While attention naturally leans toward Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke, Livanavage has been WBS’s most productive offensive defenseman to start the season and has helped on the power play.
Taylor Gauthier has added to the good start as well. In his first full AHL season, and splitting time with Joel Blomqvist so far, Gauthier is 2-1 with a .915 save percentage.
With reports that the Penguins may be willing to move veterans to create more room for younger players, the early surge from WBS matters. If these prospects keep piling up points, they’re going to make life a lot harder for the organization when decisions come due.
In Other News...
Penguins Defensive Shuffle Says Plenty Before Next Home Stretch
The Penguins' blue line got a little more fluid this week, with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton adjusting its defensive depth while the organization continues to sort out its next stretch of games. David Breazeale, who had been with the Florida Everblades, is back in the fold after spending time in the ECHL, while the recent movement of young defensemen underscores how closely the system is being managed as schedules tighten up.
Maleek McGowan and Ryan Mast were sent back down to Florida, a reminder that these roster decisions are often about keeping players active and available rather than making any dramatic statement about their long-term standing. For Pittsburgh fans, it is another small but meaningful look at how the pipeline is being handled, especially with the minor-league calendar and upcoming team events keeping the organization busy on multiple fronts. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Fans Should Watch This Penguins Trade Twist Closely
The Penguins appear to be edging toward a roster reset, and Rickard Rakell has emerged as one of the names worth watching as that shift takes shape. He is coming off an uneven season and is viewed around the league as a player whose fit may be more about the present than the future, especially with Pittsburgh looking to get younger while sorting out its next phase.
Rakell also carries a contract situation that makes any move more complicated than it might seem at first glance. He has one year left on his deal at $5 million per season, and his eight-team no-trade list gives him some control over where this might go, even as previous conversations about moving him never got off the ground. For a club trying to find value in a thin market, the challenge is whether Pittsburgh can turn a low trade value into something useful without waiting too long. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Suddenly Face A Concerning Ben Kindel Situation
The Penguins were dealing with far more than a routine travel day after forward Ben Kindel suffered a medical episode shortly after the team plane took off from Salt Lake City, triggering an emergency landing and a trip to University of Utah Hospital. Kindel was reported to be in stable condition, conscious and alert, a relief for a team that had to absorb the kind of alarming news nobody wants to hear in the middle of a road trip.
Pittsburgh responded by making its scheduled practice optional, and there were no roster moves announced in the immediate aftermath. General manager Kyle Dubas is expected to address the media Thursday with an update on Kindels status, leaving the Penguins and their fans waiting for a clearer picture of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]