It appears that a decision on Pittsburgh Penguins’ rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke’s future with the NHL club has not yet been made.
Despite being a healthy scratch for the Penguins’ last three games and for seven of the team’s last 10 games, the Penguins elected to take the 19-year-old Brunicke to Stockholm, Sweden with them for the upcoming NHL Global Series, which will feature two games between the Penguins and Nashville Predators this weekend.
The Penguins’ top defensive prospect played in his ninth NHL game a week ago in a 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning he is one NHL game away from activating his three-year entry-level contract. Fellow teenage rookie Ben Kindel – a center drafted 11th overall this summer – has already surpassed the 10-game mark and triggered his entry-level contract.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Brunicke – selected 44th overall by the Penguins in 2024 – made the Penguins’ roster out of training camp and has one goal on the season to go along with a minus-4. He has had some learning moments in recent games in trying to adjust to NHL speed, even if he has shown flashes of high-ceiling potential during his first taste of NHL action.
The Penguins have a decision to make with regards to Brunicke, who could be re-assigned to his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers (WHL), for the rest of their 2025-26 season. If re-assigned, Brunicke would not be eligible to return to the AHL or NHL until the conclusion of Kamloops’ season.
What To Know: NHL Global Series Feat. The Pittsburgh Penguins And Nashville Predators
The 2025-26 NHL Global Series is finally here, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators are gearing up for their two-game set at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Should he stay, Brunicke would activate his NHL contract, and another date to keep an eye on would be Jan. 3 – as that would mark the 40th game for the Penguins, who would lose a year of team control if they decide to keep Brunicke and Kindel beyond that date. The Penguins also have another option in the immediacy, as Brunicke would be eligible for a 14-day or five-game maximum AHL conditioning stint should he be healthy-scratched for both games in Sweden.
Brunicke can also be lent to Team Canada for World Juniors in late December, and that loan would not affect his NHL eligibility.
Opinion: Despite Struggles, Brunicke Should Remain With Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins made a flurry of moves Tuesday, sending young blueliner Owen Pickering back to the AHL, placing three others on injured reserve, and recalling two veterans and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov from the AHL.
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