Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins Will Be One of the AHL’s Best This Season – The Hockey Writers Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins Latest News, Analysis & More

The Pittsburgh Penguins are not off to a great start and the season outlook is bleak for the aging and declining team. They have a 3-7-1 record and their Oct. 29 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild was their sixth in a row and has them sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Their American League Hockey (AHL) team on the other hand is providing a lot of hope early on.

Related: Penguins’ Tristan Jarry Assigned to AHL on Conditioning Loan

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are 5-2-0 following another impressive win. Sure it came against one of the worst teams in the AHL but they battled back to tie the game late and force overtime and eventually take the Oct. 30 matchup 4-3 in a shootout. The Penguins look poised to have a great season with all the pieces in place for a big run and it gives the fanbase some hope for the future.

Penguins’ Offense Is Humming Early On

The Penguins don’t have an offense that stands out on the stat sheet. Through seven games they average 3.42 goals per game, an impressive mark but far from overwhelming. That said, they stand out on the ice with great puck movement and the ability to generate effective shots on the net. They can pile on the goals quickly and overwhelm the opposition with shots, something they proved in their recent win.

They scored two goals in the first three minutes of the game against the Bridgeport Islanders and fired 41 shots on the net. The Penguins continue to apply pressure and they have the forwards who can carry the offense throughout the season, notably 22-year-old Sam Poulin and 21-year-old Ville Koivunen, two prospects who have two goals and 10 assists this season.

On top of that talent leading them, the Penguins also have plenty of depth stepping up on the offensive end. The NHL team doesn’t have that on their offense but the AHL team sees multiple skaters help them win on any given night. Jonathan Gruden entered Wednesday night’s game without a point and he was the one who found the back of the net twice to fuel the victory.

The Penguins have a promising group on the offensive end of the ice and the offense is starting to click early. The defense still has some question marks, but they can outscore most teams in the AHL and it will make them a tough team to stop throughout the season.

Penguins Have Ideal Balance of Prospects & Veterans

The perception is that the Penguins don’t have a lot of prospects to help out the NHL roster. Most fans know about Rutger McGroarty, their big offseason addition, and that’s about it. Ironically, he’s one of the few skaters on the team who hasn’t found his rhythm yet, with only one assist through five games. Otherwise, they have plenty of prospects who are making an impact at the AHL level and are capable of eventually playing valuable roles on the NHL roster.

Poulin has two goals and five assists while Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes, who are 21 and 22 respectively, have three goals each. Most of the top skaters are in their early 20s and that doesn’t include McGroarty and defenseman Owen Pickering who are still learning the AHL game and when they do, will make the Penguins even tougher to deal with.

The Penguins have the prospects leading the way but also a handful of reliable veterans in big roles to balance out the roster. Sebastian Aho was acquired this offseason to strengthen the defense while Emil Bemstrom and Boris Katchouk add scoring to the offense. Any great AHL team needs talented prospects but also a strong veteran presence to help out the younger players and help them win games. This team has that ideal mix.

He’s only started two games but Tristan Jarry is on a mission to get back to the NHL. He was sent down earlier in the month but has been playing great since. He allowed only two goals on 34 shots in his AHL debut and made 27 saves against the Islanders to secure a 4-3 shootout victory. Eventually, he will be called back up to the NHL and the AHL team will struggle to replace him but in the meantime, he’s helping this team pile up the wins.

It’s not just Jarry in the net. The Penguins have Filip Larsson who has a .918 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA) through three games and looks poised to take over the starting role when needed. The Penguins have a great goaltending unit and it will keep this team competitive throughout this season.

The Penguins’ Tough Road Ahead

The Islanders aren’t a true test for how good the Penguins, or any team in the AHL for that matter, as they’ve only won once in their first eight games. The Hartford Wolf Pack are the Penguins’ next opponent and it’s a road game that will determine if this team can compete or not.

The Penguins also have some tough competition in their state to deal with. Sure, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms have struggled but the Hershey Bears remain the class of the AHL. They won the Calder Cup in 2023 and 2024 but if that wasn’t enough, they are 6-2-1 to begin this season.

The AHL still runs through Hershey and it will until someone knocks them off the top. However, the Penguins are one of the teams that can sneak up on them and the rest of the league with a talented roster from the top down.