Penguins Youth Movement Has Started

The Pittsburgh Penguins should see an influx of younger players this season.

Sep 24, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Andreas Johnsson (18) commits a hooking penalty against Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Eric Robinson (50) in front of Penguins goaltender Joel Blomqvist (30) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a new phase as an organization. With franchise anchors Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang in their twilight years, the team is closer to rebuilding than contending for a Stanley Cup.

It would be ideal for the Penguins to have another run at the Stanley Cup. Their core is aging, but they still desperately want to win. Team president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has an eye towards the future, and if he had it his way, the team could manage both. With the moves he's made during his short tenure in Pittsburgh, it's clear that the youth movement is already underway.

We are seeing Dubas' attempt to retool in real time with the Penguins. This summer. the team's biggest move was to acquire forward Rutger McGroarty from the Winnipeg Jets. The trade brings the American-born winger is one of the best prospects waiting to join the NHL. Only 20 years old, McGroarty could crack the Pens' top-six in his first training camp.

Mcgroarty won't be the only youngster looking to stick with the Penguins. NHL insider Dan Rosen named defensive prospect Owen Pickering as a dark horse candidate to make the opening-night roster. Pickering is the team's first-round draft pick from the 2022 NHL Draft, and after an impressive junior career he's ready to contribute in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins also have a young goaltender who projects to be an NHL starter in the near future. Finnish-born netminder Joel Blomqvist is waiting in the wings in Pittsburgh and is dominating in net for their AHL team in the meantime. The second-round selection in the 2020 draft went 25-12-6 over 45 appearances, posting a save percentage of .921 and a goals against average of 2.16. He's just 22, but the Pens might find a way to give him NHL starts in 2024-2025.

It may not seem like much, especially with how loaded some other organizations are with prospects. But for the Penguins, a team that hasn't had to worry about the future or investing in younger players for nearly two decades, it's momentous progress. It's the start of the next youth movement in Pittsburgh, and hopefully it can do enough to keep the Penguins in the playoff conversation this upcoming season.

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