Dubas says Penguins prospects’ playoff runs will shape roster decisions

Bill Zonnon’s first professional goal and Sergei Murashov’s 24 saves gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 2-0 Game 1 win over Springfield, and that kind of playoff evidence is exactly what Kyle Dubas says will shape Pittsburgh’s offseason.

Dubas is not treating these minor league runs like a feel-good side note. With the Penguins eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 30, the front office has turned its attention to the kids still playing meaningful hockey. Dubas said, “Every round they win is an opportunity to continue to develop and make our decisions harder for next fall, where they’re going to have to earn it,” and added that the playoff runs will “guide a lot of our decision-making” as the organization sorts out roster spots for 2026-27.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has answered with the kind of run that gets attention. The Penguins opened the Atlantic Division Final on Tuesday night with the 2-0 win over Springfield and are now three wins away from their first trip to the conference finals in 12 years. Zonnon, making his professional debut, found the net immediately, while Murashov backed it up with a clean sheet performance that only sharpened the internal debate about the Penguins’ goaltending pipeline.

That debate already has names attached to it. Dubas has said Murashov, 22, and Joel Blomqvist, 24, are competing for an NHL roster spot, and playoff games like this one are the sort of live audition that can separate a future call-up from a long shot. In May, under division-final pressure, a rookie scorer and a young goalie did more than survive. They tilted the conversation.

Wheeling has added its own layer to the picture. The Nailers’ playoff roster had 23 players and two open spots for AHL-eligible call-ups, a reminder that Pittsburgh’s depth chart is still fluid and being tested in real time. Taylor Gauthier made the strongest possible case for his own next step, setting Wheeling franchise records for wins with 71, games played with 124 and shutouts with 10. He also finished tied for first in the ECHL with a .929 save percentage and third with a 2.09 goals-against average.

Wheeling’s postseason run has been just as heavy on consequence. The Nailers beat Reading 4-1 in the North Division semifinal series, and Game 5 went to double overtime before Wheeling finally closed it out. Between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Wheeling, the Penguins’ system is producing players who are winning series, not just filling out box scores, and that matters when Dubas starts deciding who deserves real NHL runway next season.