When Pittsburgh travels to New York on Tuesday night there will be a glimpse into the next era of Penguins as a few key players should be making their NHL debuts.

A pair of teenage rookies in right wing Benjamin Kindel and right-handed defenseman Harrison Brunicke could very well find themselves in the lineup as they have survived the cuts. For the 2025 first-round selection Kindel, it is more realistic he will play just a few games before being sent back to the Calgary Hitmen in the Western Hockey League. Not many players outside of the top 10 selections — Kindel being pick 11 — make the NHL roster as an 18-year-old, but after a strong preseason, along with injuries in the lineup, he is getting a well-deserved look.

Kindel is not the most impressive play driver among Pittsburgh’s prospects, but his high end skill that is highlighted through finding the back of the net often makes him one of their most important pieces going forward. There should not be lofty goals for him to stick around all season long and rather just give him a taste of what it’s like being a pro.

Then on the other hand, the 2024 second-round pick Brunicke looks set to make the roster and the 6-foot-3, 200-pound smooth skating defenseman could be in for the long haul with the Penguins. Brunicke is already sizing up as one of the steals of the draft and not by just being a teenager, but doing that as a player picked outside the first round.

Pittsburgh prospect Ben Kindel will look to provide an offensive spark to the Penguins at the beginning of this season before a likely return to the Calgary Hitmen in the Canadian Hockey League. Times Observer Photo by Christian Storms

The kind of defenseman that Pittsburgh fans can expect out of Brunicke is not going to be like the offensive stars Kris Letang or Erik Karlsson are, but rather more of a physical transition player that hopefully becomes a top pairing partner to a more offensively inclined asset.

While it will be fun to get a glimpse of Kindel and Brunicke, the Penguins didn’t add much in the offseason that will lead to a better finish than last year. Instead the Penguins have once again put their faith in aging stars and as legend Evgeni Malkin enters his final year of his contract it could be the last time they rely on this method.

There have been constant swirling rumors that both Sidney Crosby and Malkin could facilitate trades that would help the Penguins acquire assets. There is no doubt the two would bring in what is needed to make sure the Penguins don’t hit rock bottom like they did toward the end of Mario Lemieux’s career, however if the two wish to stay, it should be honored after what they’ve accomplished for Pittsburgh.

Now for players like Karlsson, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh should explore trades that build toward the future.

It is not unreasonable to think that the Penguins should begin the year among the middle of the pack in the league standings and to do so it will likely include Karlsson playing well.

If they do play well the Penguins should become sellers at some point throughout the year, but it will not be surprising if they wait for offseason trades to keep the illusion up they are still trying for Crosby and Malkin.

As the necessary rebuild continues to make itself evident the Penguins will look toward the draft as they have each time hitting rock bottom.

This past season the Penguins did themselves some pretty big favors in the rebuild with three selections in the 2025 NHL Draft and it is conceivable they will acquire another pick for the 2026 draft.

Kindel will be the first of their selections to display himself at the NHL level, but fellow first-round picks Williams Horcoff and Bill Zonnon will not be far behind.

As Kindel makes his NHL debut this week, the 6-foot-5 center William Horcoff — son of longtime NHL player Shawn Horcoff — is not too far away either. The 24th selection of this year’s draft, Horcoff returned for his sophomore season at the University of Michigan this past weekend and already picked up a hat trick on Friday and another two goals on Saturday.

Horcoff is a physical force with great skating, which is impressive with his size, but he already brings a mature two-way game and has no problem finding offensive opportunities in the dirty areas like the front of the net.

The Penguins also added another good-sized center with great skating in Bill Zonnon at No. 22, but with an injury he is already set to return to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Similar to Horcoff, Zonnon can drive play with his skating in transition, but he creates offense as a high-end playmaker opposed to being a better finisher.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Horcoff leaves Michigan at the end of its season, while Zonnon is a prospect that is a few years away from making a full impact.

While that trio is a nice start to the rebuild, Pittsburgh could benefit from some of its current prospects emerging as good players for the future.

A player to watch for this season is 22-year-old winger Ville Koivunen who made his debut last season in the top-six and provided 7 assists in 8 games, including a multi-point game against the Capitals the last time he played.

The Finnish playmaker has lined up with Malkin in the past and it would be a perfect scenario to play his rookie season on the line of a future Hall of Famer.

Something the Penguins have been great at over the last decade is developing goaltending talent and the latest project is Russian Sergei Murashov who has turned heads since coming to North America last year. In his debut season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the 21-year old posted a .913 save percentage with 2.64 goals against average and a 12-3 record between the pipes.

There is no rush with Murashov as he continues to acclimate himself with the style of play in North America and the acquisition of Artus Silovs from Vancouver further reinforces that.

Silovs is a 24-year-old goaltender looking for a fresh start with the Penguins after struggling to establish himself in the NHL despite having a great career in the American Hockey League, winning the Calder Cup last season along with the playoff MVP award.

As some young players look to begin making names for themselves with the Penguins it will still be about the stars until they are gone.

Crosby will still be one of the best playmakers in the league, Karlsson should have a bounce back season and Malkin won’t leave the NHL quietly. But the fact still remains that the Penguins do not have what it takes to contend anymore and with that era over, a glimpse into the future begins this year.