There are some exciting developments down on the farm for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With more talent in the system than they’ve had in recent memory, the Penguins have several prospects of interest to keep an eye on. We will take a look at how some of the organization’s top defensive prospects are faring right now in our February prospects update.
Pickering spent 25 games at the NHL level this season and impressed early on. Known more as an offensive defenseman at the time of his draft, he actually showed flashes of being a pretty decent shutdown defenseman during his time in the NHL.
But as the grind of the schedule bore on, Pickering began to struggle a bit. As a result, he was sent back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to refine his game and continue his development.
Even though he endured a bit of a funk upon getting sent down initially – as detailed by Penguins assistant general manager Jason Spezza – Pickering is finding his game again at the AHL level. He is known to be very coachable and has a “high aptitude for the game,” as head coach Mike Sullivan has said.
He has two goals and five points in 26 AHL games and had one goal and three points in 25 NHL games. The offensive side of his game needs to see some growth, but he’s becoming more and more of a well-rounded defenseman.
Brunicke, 18, missed a good chunk of the 2024-25 season for his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers, after sustaining a wrist fracture on Nov. 14. Despite missing a couple of months and facing some adversity because of his injury, the Penguins’ 44th overall pick in 2024 hasn’t missed a beat.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound defenseman’s mobility and prowess in the transition game were two of the many things that stood out about him during Penguins training camp in October, and they have been on display throughout his junior season. In 29 games for Kamloops, Brunicke has four goals and 24 points, and his defensive game is shining as well.
He can both aid the offensive transition game and thwart the opposing transition game. His puck carrying skills are tremendous, and he uses his high-IQ to read and react accordingly on both sides of the puck. He’s still very raw and prone to some turnovers, but the skill is there, and he can be a high-impact player in the Penguins’ future.
The Penguins have a good two-way blueliner in Brunicke, and he has the highest ceiling of any defensive prospect. If Brunicke continues to impress, he may just get a crack at the NHL roster next season.
Like Brunicke, Pieniniemi is very raw. There is still a lot of refinement that has to happen once he makes the jump to professional hockey. In any case, though, he just continues to do the work highlighted in our January defensive prospects update at the junior level with the Kingston Frontenacs.
Pieniniemi – who turns 20 on Mar. 2 – won silver with Finland at the World Junior Championship at the turn of the new year and has eight goals and 53 points in 50 games on the season. He is sixth in scoring among defenseman in the OHL – one spot behind another Penguins’ defensive prospect – and this is considering that he was, primarily, drafted for his defense and “play-killing” instincts.
His skating should improve through development – thought his footspeed isn’t great – but his defense in the neutral zone and his physicality are already pretty refined. The development on the offensive side of the puck is what makes him intriguing.
Pieniniemi doesn’t have as high a ceiling as Brunicke, or even Pickering, but the talent is evident – especially the shutdown potential. And his stock has risen considerably over the course of this season.
🚨 Prospect Spotlight: Finn Harding
Finn Harding has been hot lately. He’s a key piece of Brampton’s offense this season. The 7rd pick in 2024, has 6G and 38A in 49 games, showcasing his playmaking ability while remaining a strong presence defensively. #LetsGoPens
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Hsgv0sAXI2— Pens Prospects (@pensprospects_) February 10, 2025
Who is the prospect right in front of Pieniniemi for OHL scoring among defenseman? That would be Finn Harding, who was drafted in the seventh and final round by the Penguins in 2024.
Harding – sharing the same exact birthday as Pieniniemi – was actually a re-entry draft selection for the Penguins, which means he entered the draft but was not selected in 2023. However, some scouts had projected that he could be a sneaky-good mid-round pickup for an NHL team.
And so far, he hasn’t proven them wrong.
Harding has seven goals and 54 points in 56 games for the Brampton Steelheads this season, and his offensive game has seen massive growth. He was already known defensively for his ability to defend the rush and his gap control, and the growth in his offensive game has led to his stock rising pretty substantially within the Penguins’ organization.
Harding certainly doesn’t have the same NHL track as any of the aforementioned players, but he’s certainly making things more interesting for the Penguins as far as defensive prospect depth.
Yes, Hollowell and Kral are 26 and 25, respectively, so they can’t be talked about in the same light as the other younger Penguins prospects. But both have been good at the AHL this season, and they were both drafted by current Penguins GM and POHO Kyle Dubas in 2018 – which was Dubas’s first draft as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
D Filip Kral now 1-4-5 tonight for WBS. Team record for points in one game is 6 (Chris Conner).
— Bob Grove (@bobgrove91) January 30, 2025
The familiarity with both players is what likely led Dubas to sign them, and they’ve been a big part of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s success this season. Hollowell has one goal and 28 points in 44 games, while Kral has seven goals and 24 points in 40 games. Neither is particularly great on the defensive side of the puck, but they’re serviceable enough – and they provide the Penguins with some veteran depth at the position.
They may be two to keep an eye on once the NHL trade deadline passes.
Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
