As the Pittsburgh Penguins face a critical turning point after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season, the organization is clearly shifting its focus toward the future. With legendary captain Sidney Crosby still anchoring the team, the Penguins are now actively seeking to rejuvenate their roster with fresh, young talent. This off-season, anticipation is high as the franchise holds the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft—a prime opportunity to secure a potential cornerstone for years to come.

However, the Penguins are not waiting for the draft to start building for tomorrow. In a move that has caught the attention of fans and analysts alike, the team has signed a promising young forward out of the WHL to a two-year AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. This signing signals Pittsburgh’s commitment to investing in youth and developing new talent from within the organization. With the recent success of young call-ups fueling optimism, all eyes are now on this new addition as the Penguins embark on a new chapter, determined to return to their winning ways and build a foundation for sustained success.

Brayden Edwards with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Photo credit: Neutral Zone

The Pittsburgh Penguins need some young talent, and now they’ve signed an intriguing young forward out of the WHL to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, with the hope that they may have found an NHL player of the future.

The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season, and now, it appears as though they are looking towards the future, even with Sidney Crosby remaining on the team.

To do so however, they’ll need to find some young talent this off-season, with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft certainly a great position for them to land a future franchise cornerstone.

Before we get there however, they’ve inked a very intriguing young forward to a two-year deal, as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced an AHL deal on social media for a young WHL forward.

Brayden Edwards, a native of Abbotsford, BC played four years in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and in 2024/25 he put up a career year, posting 31 goals and 77 points in just 65 games played, helping the team all the way to the WHL Semi-Finals in the playoffs.

The 20-year old stands at 6-foot-1, meaning he has the size and the skill to compete at the professional level, and while this is only an AHL deal for the Penguins, there’s plenty of hope for his future in the organization.

With the team desperate for an injection of young talent, expect Edwards to be given every chance to compete in the AHL next season, and after the shock call up of Ville Koivunen this past season, the Penguins are ready to give young players the chance, so this is a name to keep a close eye on.