Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5 Prospects Who Could Climb in 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ prospect pool has more recognizable names than it did a few years ago, but the next step is not only about the top of the system. It is about finding which second-tier players can push their way into a more serious organizational conversation.

That is where the 2026-27 season becomes important.

President of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas has added draft picks, college free agents, and young players through trades while trying to rebuild a system that had been thin for years. The Penguins’ Top 25 Under 25 reset reflects that change, with several new names entering the pipeline after a busy stretch of prospect additions.

The top prospects will draw most of the attention. Ben Kindel, Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Sergei Murashov, and Owen Pickering are already major parts of the long-term conversation. A healthier system, though, needs more than obvious names. It needs players who can climb from the middle of the pool and become useful NHL assets, trade pieces, or developmental wins.

Here are five Penguins prospects who could rise in 2026-27.

1. Jake Livanavage

Jake Livanavage is the easiest player to start with because he is already close to the NHL picture. He made his NHL debut in Pittsburgh’s regular-season finale after signing out of the University of North Dakota, and he was the only player at Penguins development camp with NHL experience.

That gives Livanavage a different starting point than most prospects in this group. His two-year entry-level contract (ELC) began last season and runs through this season, which means 2026-27 could quickly determine where he stands in the organization. The left-shot defenseman had five goals, 20 assists, and 25 points in 39 games at North Dakota last season, giving Pittsburgh another puck-moving option in a system that needs more blue-line skill.

Livanavage’s path is not wide open, but it is visible. The Penguins still have questions on the left side, and their American Hockey League (AHL) defense group should offer him a real chance to play meaningful minutes. If he handles Wilkes-Barre/Scranton well, he could become more than a college free-agent depth addition.

The climb for Livanavage depends on whether his mobility and puck movement translate against stronger professional forechecks. If he proves he can move the puck cleanly, survive defensive-zone pressure, and add offense without needing sheltered usage, Pittsburgh may have found a useful defenseman without spending a draft pick.

The Penguins’ recent prospect reset is partly about adding layers. Livanavage is exactly that kind of player because he is not being asked to become a star, but he could still become valuable if he pushes toward NHL depth.

2. Tomas Galvas

Tomas Galvas has a strong case to climb because his profile fits a clear organizational need. Pittsburgh does not have enough long-term certainty on the left side of the blue line, and Galvas gives the system another skilled, left-shot defenseman with international experience.

The Penguins selected Galvas in the second round, 54th overall, in the 2026 NHL Draft and already signed him to a three-year ELC. His production in Czechia stands out. He had eight goals, 16 assists, and 24 points in 32 games for Bílí Tygři Liberec, leading team defensemen in goals, assists, and points.

His World Junior Championship performance raised the profile even more. Galvas had nine points in seven games for Czechia, won a silver medal, and was named to the tournament All-Star Team. That kind of stage can change how a prospect is viewed because it shows he can drive offense against top players in his age group.

Galvas still has development work ahead. He is not physically overwhelming, and smaller defensemen usually have to prove they can defend well enough before their offensive skill earns NHL trust. Still, his skating, puck skill, and production make him one of the system’s more intriguing blue-line bets.

His 2026 draft profile already framed him as a player worth watching because of his offensive tools and international play. If he builds on that with a strong professional season, he could climb quickly in a system that badly needs more defense prospects to separate.

3. Harrison Brunicke

Harrison Brunicke is not a hidden name, but he still belongs here because his next step could dramatically change the defensive prospect picture.

Brunicke already had a strange, valuable development season. He played nine NHL games with Pittsburgh, spent time with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, represented Canada internationally, returned to the Western Hockey League (WHL), and then rejoined the AHL club for its playoff run. The Penguins’ own look at Brunicke’s busy year showed how much he had to manage before turning 20.

That experience could help him climb. Some young defensemen need time because they have not seen enough different levels of hockey. Brunicke has already been exposed to almost every important environment the Penguins can offer a prospect. He has seen NHL pace, AHL playoff intensity, major junior responsibility, and international pressure.

The key is turning experience into stability. Pittsburgh does not need him to be flashy. It needs him to become reliable enough that his size, skating, and right-shot profile start to look like real NHL tools. The organization already has Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Kaedan Korczak, and Trevor van Riemsdyk on the right side, but Brunicke’s timeline is more important for the next version of the blue line.

His earlier return to juniors was the right developmental call, but 2026-27 should bring a different challenge. If Brunicke becomes a strong AHL defenseman or pushes for NHL games again, he could move from promising prospect to one of Pittsburgh’s most important future defensemen.

The Penguins’ blue-line future is still unsettled. Brunicke has the profile to help change it if he takes a mature step.

4. Pierce Mbuyi

Pierce Mbuyi may be the most interesting upside swing in this group because he has enough production to justify more attention than a typical third-round pick.

The Penguins took Mbuyi in the third round, 86th overall, in the 2026 Draft. His draft-day profile included 32 goals, 43 assists, and 75 points in 68 games with the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He also had 127 points across his first two junior seasons, giving Pittsburgh a productive winger with legitimate offensive credentials.

Mbuyi’s path is different because he is not close to the NHL yet. The organization can afford to be patient, especially with more immediate young forwards already ahead of him. That may actually help. He does not have to fight through Pittsburgh’s crowded NHL wing picture right away.

The appeal is skill and scoring growth. Mbuyi has already shown he can produce in junior hockey, and his next season should reveal whether he can move from productive OHL forward to a higher-end prospect. If he adds strength, improves his play away from the puck, and keeps scoring, his value could rise quickly.

His draft prospect profile gave the Penguins another internal reference point for why he was worth the swing. A strong 2026-27 would put him into a more serious conversation alongside the organization’s better-known young forwards.

For a system trying to build depth, Mbuyi is the kind of player who can make rankings look outdated fast.

5. Markus Ruck

Markus Ruck is already connected to one of the Penguins’ biggest draft stories because Pittsburgh selected both Ruck twins in 2026. Liam Ruck went 22nd overall, while Markus followed at 39th. That naturally creates comparisons, but Markus has a climb of his own to make.

The Penguins’ official draft recap listed Markus with a WHL-leading 87 assists and 108 points in 68 games with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He also added 13 points in 15 playoff games and was named to the WHL East First All-Star Team. Those are not empty numbers.

The question is how his game projects. Liam received first-round attention, but Markus brings playmaking, vision, and production that should not be treated like a side note. Pittsburgh using a high second-round pick on him shows the organization saw more than a family reunion story.

The twins’ selection created national attention, and their shared draft moment gave the Penguins one of the more memorable stories of the 2026 draft. The hockey part now becomes more important. Markus has to show he can keep driving offense, add enough strength, and develop habits that help him project beyond junior scoring.

A strong season back with Medicine Hat could push him higher quickly. Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s prospect overview noted that Liam and Markus both project a few years down the road, which means the organization does not need to rush either player. Patience is useful, but momentum still matters.

Markus can climb by proving he is not simply the other Ruck. If he continues producing at a high level and rounds out his game, he could become one of the more important forward prospects in the system.

Penguins Need More Than Top Prospects

The Penguins’ prospect pool has improved, but it still needs players outside the obvious group to move upward. That is how a system becomes sustainable.

Livanavage can climb because he is close to the NHL and plays a position of need. Galvas has the offensive tools and international résumé to become a more prominent defensive prospect. Brunicke could turn a busy development year into a stronger professional role. Mbuyi has enough scoring upside to outperform his draft slot. Markus Ruck can build on one of the best junior playmaking seasons in the 2026 class.

Those five players do not have the same timelines. That is part of the point. A good pipeline should have near-ready players, longer-term swings, defensemen, forwards, and different types of upside moving at the same time.

The Penguins’ ECHL switch and broader development changes show how much the organization is rethinking the path underneath the NHL roster. The next step is making sure players actually move through that path.

Pittsburgh does not need every prospect to hit. It needs enough of them to keep creating options for Dubas, trade value for the front office, and affordable talent for the NHL roster.

If these five climb in 2026-27, the Penguins’ prospect pool will look less like a reset and more like a real pipeline.