What a Calder Cup Trophy for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Could Do for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 26-27
After a dominant 8-1 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds in Game Five of the Atlantic Division Final, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins punched their ticket to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins will take on the Toronto Marlies in a best-of-seven series to determine who will represent the Eastern Conference in the Calder Cup Championship, backed by incredible talent, including the Penguins' first-round pick, Bill Zonnon, who got off to an extremely hot start and shows promise after joining the AHL club for their final matchup against the Hershey Bears in the Atlantic Division Semifinals. In Pittsburgh, the Penguins are already coming off their most successful season in four years, making the playoffs again and implementing a new scheme under rookie head coach Dan Muse. From players such as Anthony Mantha, who returned from injury and had his best year, to rookie Ben Kindel performing well on Pittsburgh’s fourth line, and even Evgeni Malkin having a resurgence in his play, this team changed substantially and looks to continue that trend going forward. As the Penguins' younger brother in the AHL gets increasingly close to hoisting a Calder Cup, the implications for Pittsburgh are substantial.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton entered the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs with 101 points, good for second in the Atlantic Division and third in the AHL. With many AHL players having played for Pittsburgh this past season, having significant NHL experience helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton all season. Rutger McGroarty, who has been brought up to Pittsburgh in each of the last two seasons, recorded 10 goals, 24 assists, and 34 points through just 30 games played. Similarly, Ville Koivunen also had a better than a point-per-game average. The 22-year-old left winger recorded 13 goals, 28 assists, and 41 points in 34 games played. Another bright spot is Avery Hayes, who scored two hat tricks for the Penguins, just 11 days apart. He also scored two goals in his NHL debut for Pittsburgh against the Blues on April 14th. Arguably, the biggest reason Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has gotten to where it is is the play of Sergei Murashov. The Russian goaltender, who is still considered a rookie, has the third-best save percentage and goals-allowed-average in the AHL. Through 38 games played, the young goalie allowed just 79 goals, good for a 2.20 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He led Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to a 24-9-4 record with him in the net. Through nine games of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Murashov has continued his exceptional play. He has allowed just 16 goals in nine games, helping his team to a 6-3 record behind his 1.74 GAA and .943 save percentage. While his five games in the NHL did not produce the same success, the rookie did record one shutout, stopping all 21 shots in a 4-0 win over the Predators.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have always prided themselves on reloading rather than rebuilding, a philosophy that was even more evident last offseason and into the 25-26 season. President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas gathered several draft picks, including three in the first round, and used them to build his team for the future. Rookies like Zonnon, Kindle, and Murashov will hopefully have their whole careers to show what they are capable of in a Penguins jersey. On the other hand, guys such as Egor Chinakhov, Elmer Soderblom, and Arturs Silovs show that Dubas is not afraid to trade away some of his draft capital for established players who are still young and hungry. Despite the news of 39-year-old Malkin returning to the Steel City for another season, the Penguins have established a great mix of veteran and young talent. If Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is able to hoist a Calder Cup by the end of June, all it does is excite Dubas, the Penguins organization, and fans alike. A team that has already turned towards a youthful resurgence could see its young guys enter the NHL with waves of confidence, carried over from their AHL success.
