Four Dark Horse Candidates To Break Penguins’ NHL Roster Out Of Camp

Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp is officially only two days away, and there will be many storylines to watch this year.

There will be legitimate battles to keep an eye on for every positional group. There is a new coaching staff in town that will implement some foreign systems and act as fresh sets of eyes on everyone at camp. 

And there will be a few dark horse prospect candidates to watch out for, too. 

Of course, most eyes will be on higher-profile prospects such as Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, Owen Pickering, and Harrison Brunicke. But there are a few others who should push for NHL roster spots as well right out of the gate.

Here are four of them.

Many people are focusing the forward discussion on Koivunen and McGroarty, and rightfully so. Both players made an impression at the end of the 2024-25 season.

But Hallander, 24, also made quite the impression last season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).

Hallander was originally selected by the Penguins in the second round (58th overall) of the 2018 draft. After an underwhelming two AHL seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) from 2021-23, the organization non-tendered him as a restricted free agent, and he opted to play in the SHL.

In 2024-25 – his second season after initially departing the Penguins’ organization – he took home the SHL’s Forward of the Year honors by registering 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games with Timra HK. His season with Timra earned him a second chance with the Penguins, and they signed him to a two-year NHL contract. 

Between Hallander finding his footing as far as production and his strong two-way game as a center, he should push pretty heavily for a roster spot. As with every other player on this list, it will be an uphill climb. But if he performs anything like he did last season, he will make decisions very difficult for Penguins’ brass.

It has been mentioned several times over that the left defensive battle this season is as wide-open as they come.

Of course, new signees in Parker Wotherspoon and Alexander Alexeyev were brought in to be part of that battle. Carryovers from the roster last season in Ryan Shea and Ryan Graves will likely have inside tracks to roster spots. Pickering had a 25-game NHL stint last season and is well-positioned to grab a roster spot with a good camp.

But don’t count out Pieniniemi, either. 

The 20-year-old blueliner hailing from Kuopio, Finland put together an impressive season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL last season – his first on North American soil. He recorded 10 goals and 60 points in 60 games and four goals and 10 points in 11 playoff games, and he finished seventh in scoring among OHL defensemen.

His ability to run a power play, his physicality, his skating ability, and two-way prowess make him an intriguing prospect with upside. With a good camp, his name should be in consideration for an NHL roster spot as much as guys like Pickering and Alexeyev.

And with a good start to his professional career in the AHL, don’t be surprised to see him at some point this season, even if he doesn’t break camp.

Hayes was just covered by us earlier Tuesday, and for good reason. Between dominating Prospects Challenges and scoring big goals in big moments, he seems to have a few things figured out. 

Hayes, 22, put up 23 goals and 42 points in 60 AHL games last season and earned himself a two-year entry-level NHL contract as a result. Undrafted, the WBS Penguins originally signed him to a two-year AHL deal prior to his 2023-24 campaign, which was marred with injuries and inconsistency.

But ever since the 2024 Prospects Challenge, Hayes has done nothing but impress. He is an effective player in all three zones, is feisty, forechecks well, drives the net… and he can finish. He scored four goals in three Prospects Challenge games this year, and he looked out of place in the best way during the event.

Out of all the names on this list, Hayes could very well make the biggest push. His game seems translatable to the NHL level, and he is someone who has the ability to fight his way up a lineup and into heavier minutes. His work ethic is hard to top, and he plays the game the right way.

Don’t count this guy out in terms of breaking camp. He’s been that good for the Penguins this past year.

It may be a stretch to call Broz, 22, a “dark horse” at this point, and that’s only because he has grown so much and impressed in all facets even though he faced a fair amount of adversity last season.

Despite missing nearly two months of the 2024-2025 season with mononucleosis, the young American forward grew into the center position and established himself as a reliable two-way forward. He had two goals and nine points in the final 10 games of the season as well as a goal and three points in two playoff games, and – even with his setback – he still recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games during his first season in professional hockey.

But his ability on both ends of the ice is really what stands out about Broz. He is a smart, responsible player in all three zones, he has the ability to disrupt plays and excel in transition, and – like Hayes – he can put the puck in the back of the net. 

Because of Broz’s setback, starting the season in the AHL certainly wouldn’t hurt him, and there is still a lot of room for him to grow. But a lot of the details are already ironed out for him, and he plays a very mature game – something that may give him a leg-up if he shows well in training camp.

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