The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins enter the 2026-27 season with the bar set much higher than it was a year ago. After finishing last season at 46-17-7-2 with 101 points - the third-best mark in the American Hockey League - WBS pushed all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014 before losing to the Toronto Marlies in Game 6 at home.
That run changed the conversation around the organization. It’s no longer about proving the Penguins can hang in the playoff race.
They already did that. Now the question is whether this group can keep climbing toward a Calder Cup championship.
Kirk MacDonald is back for his third season behind the bench, and he brings a résumé that reflects the progress WBS has made under him: two straight playoff appearances and an 86-41-4-3 record. With returning players, prospects, and several additions in the mix, the path forward will be shaped by a handful of key names.
One of the most intriguing is Bill Zonnon. The 2025 first-round pick made his professional debut after his QMJHL season ended, and he wasted little time showing why Pittsburgh drafted him so highly.
In 11 playoff games, he posted four goals and three assists. If he doesn’t crack the Pittsburgh roster, a full AHL season would give him valuable runway in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
At 19, Zonnon brings versatility and a game that should translate well as he adjusts to the demands of pro hockey. Pittsburgh’s investment is clear, too, with a three-year entry-level contract and the ATO he signed for last season’s playoff push. If his playoff introduction is a preview, he could become one of WBS’s real offensive threats.
The blue line has an important development story of its own in Owen Pickering. Pittsburgh’s 2022 first-round pick, taken 21st overall, is entering a season that could define his rise as a legitimate NHL option.
For WBS, his growth matters just as much. Keeping the defense stable after last season’s success will depend in part on how much Pickering can handle.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman already has the size and reach to influence games. What remains is the continued growth of his puck-moving game and the responsibility that comes with a bigger role. If he builds on how he finished last season, he becomes another major piece in the organization’s long-term plans.
Tristan Broz also enters the year with momentum. He led WBS in playoff scoring and raised his standing in the process.
If the NHL roster were less crowded, he would have been a strong candidate for NHL duty after a solid training camp. Instead, he heads into the season with proof that he can produce when the games matter most.
That matters for a team that knows how quickly the lineup can shift once injuries and call-ups hit. Broz showed he can supply offense, and that kind of scoring depth can shape his role over the course of the year.
Brent Johnson is another name worth tracking. He comes to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after a standout season with the Wheeling Nailers, making the jump from the ECHL to the AHL. That transition is never simple, especially for a defenseman, which makes his training camp and early-season work especially important.
His arrival also speaks to a central piece of Pittsburgh’s approach: development. If Johnson settles in quickly and proves he can handle everyday AHL minutes, he could give WBS useful depth and keep himself on the organization’s radar for the future.
Then there’s Taylor Gauthier, who may end up being one of the most important pieces of all. Goaltending can swing a season, and it can matter even more when a team is trying to repeat a deep playoff run. Gauthier has already established himself as a presence for the Penguins, and his next step could be huge.
WBS won last season by playing a full 60 minutes and staying composed when the games tightened up. Gauthier’s ability to provide stability through injuries and call-ups could become a major storyline.
He was critical for the Nailers’ run and often found himself in games decided by his battle with the opposing goalie. If he becomes a dependable AHL goaltender, WBS will have exactly the kind of security it needs for another postseason push.
He could be a major factor whether he’s behind or even beside Joel Blomqvist, or Sergei Murashov if Blomqvist wins the training camp battle.
The Penguins already proved they can go deep. They were the youngest team in the AHL last season, with an average age of 22, and still reached the Eastern Conference Final.
That experience should only help now. The next step will come down to how Zonnon develops, how Pickering handles a bigger role, how Broz builds on his playoff scoring, how Johnson adapts to the AHL, and how Gauthier handles the crease when the pressure rises again.
In Other News...
Sidney Crosby Looms Over Penguins Camp For One Huge Reason
The Penguins prospects are already on the move, with Detroit set to be their base as they get ready for their first game next Saturday and begin the soft launch of the 2026-27 season. Even with the formal training camp start date still to come, informal skates are underway and the calendar is already filling up, with the first preseason game scheduled for Sept. 21 against Buffalo.
All of that naturally keeps Sidney Crosby at the center of everything in Pittsburgh. The bigger question hanging over camp is whether Crosby will extend his contract before the season gets going or enter the year in the final season of his current deal, a possibility that would only add more intrigue to every camp session, every preseason shift and every bit of news coming out of the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Fans Will Have Strong Opinions On This Perfect Player Debate
The idea of building a perfect player out of todays Penguins is the kind of thought experiment that always gets fans talking, because it asks them to separate favorite names from favorite traits. Sidney Crosby is the obvious starting point for hockey IQ, while Erik Karlsson brings the kind of vision that changes how a play develops before it fully exists. Add Bryan Rusts mentality and Evgeni Malkins knack for delivering in big moments, and the result already feels like a snapshot of why Pittsburghs stars have defined so much of the franchises recent identity.
What makes the exercise more fun is how quickly it becomes a debate over which skill matters most, not just which player is best. Kris Letangs athleticism belongs in the mix, Egor Chinakhov supplies shot and finishing ability, and Elmer Soderblom offers the size piece that rounds out the build. Even without a final answer, the argument says plenty about how Penguins fans see the roster now: as a collection of distinct strengths, each one worth borrowing for a different part of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Move Is Already Bigger Than A Routine Prospect Extension
The Penguins eight-year deal for prospect Ville Koivunen has already started to ripple beyond Pittsburgh, because it was the kind of commitment that other teams notice when they are weighing how to handle their own young talent. A move that might have looked routine on the surface suddenly feels like part of a larger conversation around how much value clubs are willing to lock in early, and it comes with the added backdrop of a market that is shifting around the league.
Elsewhere, the Canucks signing of defenseman Zeev Buium fit right into that same wide-ranging evaluation of prospect value, while the Red Wings were said to have asked for a top-line center in trade discussions involving Dylan Larkin. The Islanders have also admitted they are in a transition phase, and the Bruins used the 2025 NHL Draft to grab James Hagens sixth overall, all of which makes the Koivunen contract look less like a standalone decision and more like one more sign of how aggressively teams are trying to shape their future now. [Read more 🡒]