As teams are starting to dwindle the roster at the NHL level, most of those cuts are sent back to their respective junior teams and AHL teams. Pittsburgh has re-assigned or invited the following players below to the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Camp.

Raivis Ansons

This is a huge year for Ansons as last season left him on the sideline with a season ending injury. Ansons posted one goal in nine games played with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton prior to the injury. Ansons has played in 87 games with the Penguins and has amassed five goals with nine assists. The Latvia native was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, 149th overall in the fifth round.

David Breazeale

After completing his collegiate career with the University of Maine, he signed an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Breazeale was part of the team that helped University of Maine secure it’s first championship in 21 years. He was the Captain of the team for the last two season and tallied eight goals with 43 assists in the span of 144 games.

Tommy Budnick

Budnick has spent the better part of five seasons in the OHL with three different teams. He played 153 games for the Kingston Frontenacs notching six goals and 41 assists. Budnick was then traded in the 2023-2024 season to the Guelph Storm for a 2026 second round draft pick, 2026 third round draft pick, and a 2027 third round draft pick. Budnick suited up for 51 games for the Guelph Storm and tallied five goals and 18 assists. The Storm traded him to the Brantford Bulldogs in January 2025 for a 2026 third round draft pick and a 2027 fifth round draft pick. During the 2024-2025 season, Budnick collectively, between the Storm and the Bulldogs, had a career year. He tallied seven goals with 20 assists in 46 games.

Kyle Criscuolo

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is bringing the 33-year-old veteran in on a Professional Try Out Contract. After spending four years at Harvard University, with two of those years being spent as captain of the squad. He has spent 17 games in the NHL playing for the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and San Jose Sharks. Criscuolo has spent 500 games in the AHL playing for Grand Rapid Griffins, Rochester Americans, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, San Diego Gulls, San Jose Barracuda, Utica Comets, and the Charlotte Checkers. He comes with leadership qualities and 40 games of post-season play over the course of his career.

Brayden Edwards

The 20-year-old Abbotsford, BC native just finished a four-year career in the WHL with Winnipeg Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes. During his first year in the WHL, He played for the Winnipeg Ice in 11 games. He tallied three assists. In January of 2022, Edwards was traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, along with second-round draft pick in the 2025 and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft. In return, Winnipeg Ice received forward Chase Wheatcroft and a fifth-round pick. During Edwards tenure with the Hurricanes, he dressed in 236 regular season games and notched a total of 82 goals and 117 assists. In the post-season, he dressed for 28 games and gathered 10 goals and 14 assists. Edwards has a special teams upside and a sound game that will only strengthen during his professional career.

Zach Gallant

After spending two years playing for McGill University, Gallant produced 20 goals with 36 assists. He ranked fourth on the team in points in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons. Prior to going back to college, Gallant played in 78 AHL games for the San Jose Barracuda in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 season where he tallied four goals and 14 assists and 103 PIMS. Gallant was drafted in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings and spent two seasons in the OHL as the Captain of the Petersbourough Petes.

Max Graham

The 21-year-old was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, 139th overall. In a trade on March 9th, 2025, Pittsburgh Penguins acquired his rights along with Chase Stillman and a 2027 third round pick, in exchange for Jonathan Gruden and Cody Glass. Graham played the better part of five seasons in the WHL with the Everett Silvertips and the Kelowna Rockets. In 18 games for the Silvertips, Graham gained two assists. In the course of 219 regular season games for the Kelowna Rockets, he potted 56 goals and 75 assists. In 20 postseason games, Graham assisted by gathering five goals and five assists. Graham served as Assistant Captain in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, and was donned the “C” in the 2024-2025 season before a knee injury took him out of play for the remainder of the season.

Brent Johnson

After spending two years with the University of North Dakota and two years with Ohio State University, playing in 111 games, the defenseman posted 13 goals and 22 assists. After signing with Wilkes-Barre last season, Johnson spent three games with the Wheeling Nailers, amassing one goal and one assist. He dressed in one game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with no points.

Jordan Kaplan

The Bridgewater, New Jersey native is heading into his fifth full professional season. In the past, he has played for Adirondack Thunder, Norfolk Admirals, Reading Royals, Newfoundland Growlers, Worcester Railers, Savannah Ghost Pirates, and is currently under contract with the Wheeling Nailers. Kaplan played three years at Sacred Heart University and one year at University of Vermont. Kaplan has suited up in 206 ECHL games and tallied 44 goals and 56 assists with a career year coming last season with 18 goals and 31 assists with the Worcester Railers. Kaplan did spend 11 games in Germany with Saale Bulls Halle tallying four goals and six assists.

Gabe Klassen

Before turning to the pro ranks of hockey, Klassen spent five seasons in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks. During his time there, he dressed in 248 games and notched 118 goals and 147 assists during the regular season. Klassen was signed to an AHL contract in June of 2024 by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and earned his first recall to the club on February 27th, 2025. Klassen has dressed in 65 games for the Wheeling Nailers last season. He has tallied 19 goals with 24 assists. During his recall to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he played in six games with one goal and two assists.

Daniel Laatsch

The 23-year-old spent the 2024-2025 season donning the A for the University of Wisconsin. In 22 games, the defenseman posted two goals and three assists. He played in a total of 126 games with six goals and 20 assists. Laatsch best season was the 2023-2024 season where he posted two goals and nine assists and had the team high of a plus 17 rating. The team record led them to appear in the 2024 NCAA D1 Ice Hockey Championship, where they fell to Quinnipiac during the first round. Laatsch played for Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL in the 2020-2021 season where he had two goals and 17 assists. He was also apart of the USNTD for two season and accumulated four goals and 10 assists. Laatsch was drafted in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by Pittsburgh.

Brett Murray

Murray was on a PTO with Pittsburgh prior to the start of camp, but is now reporting to the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton camp. He has appeared in 26 NHL games and totaled two goals and four assists. Murray played six seasons with the Rochester Americans, dressing for 325 games and amassing 100 goals and 106 assists.

Maxim Pavlenko

Pavlenko was signed to an AHL contract in June of 2025. He participated in the IIHF World Championship for Kazakhstan with a 30-save game and the only victory for the country. He went 1-4-0 with a 3.75 GAA and .881 save percentage. Pavlenko has played the last two years in Russia’s VHL for HC Ryazan-VDV. In 32 games with Ryazan, he went 9-16-1 and a 2.44 GAA and .919 save percentage and two shutouts. Pavlenko backstopped his home country of Kazakhstan in seven games at the 2025 IIHF World Championship. In 2023, he helped win the Kazakhstan Hockey Cup with Nomad Astana.

Emil Pieniniemi

Pieniniemi has played with another player who is likely to make the roster for Pittsburgh this year, Ville Koivunen, in Finland. Pieniniemi played for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL and led the teams defensemen. He dressed in 60 games and notched 10 goals with 50 assists. This will be his first professional season in the United States.

Zach Urdahl

23-year-old Urdahl, split four years of his collegiate career between University of Wisconsin and University of Nebraska-Omaha. He played in a total of 137 games and tallied 35 goals and 30 assists. This will be Urdahl’s first full professional season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Cal Burke

Burke will be entering his sixth professional season. He has suited up in ten NHL games with Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vegas Golden Knights. His first professional goal came with the Golden Knights in the 2024-2025 season. In the AHL, Burke has dressed in 277 games and notched 56 goals and 76 assists. He has played in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles and the Henderson Silver Knights.

Atley Calvert

Calvert spent the better parts of five seasons in the WHL playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He played in 237 regular season games and tallied 105 goals and 115 assists. In his fourth season with the Warriors, he donned the “A” on his sweater. On January 22nd, 2025, Calvert was named ECHL All-Star along with teammates Sergei Murashov and Chris Ortiz. Calvert dressed in 26 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and accumulated nine goals and and five assists. He dressed in 38 games last season for the Wheeling Nailers and tallied 13 goals and 23 assists.

Finn Harding

Before coming into a few professional games, Harding played three years for the Brampton Steelheads, with two of those years being under the name Mississauga Steelheads. The team relocated to Brampton, Ontario, before the start of the 2024-2025 season. During Harding’s tenure with Brampton, He played in 198 games and totaled 19 goals and 82 assists. Harding only has eight total professional games under him, three being in the regular season and five being in the postseason. Harding was drafted in the 2024 NHL Entry Level Draft and was picked 223rd overall in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On March 3rd, 2024, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that General Manager Kyle Dubas signed Harding to a three-year entry-level contract. After signing the contract, Harding headed to the Wheeling Nailers after Brampton’s season ended during the first round of the playoffs. Harding assisted the Nailers at the end of the season and throughout the playoffs.

Aaron Huglen

Huglen completed his collegiate career in the 2024-2025 season and was the captain of the University of Minnesota. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres during the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, going 102nd overall. He dressed in 150 games for Minnesota and tallied 32 goals and 41 assists. During the course of the 2024-2025 season, Huglen was given the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award and was named to the Academic All-Big Ten in three of the four seasons.

Nolan Renwick

After completing four seasons at the University of Maine, he had a career year in the 2024-2025 season posting 15 assists and nine goals. In the span of 132 games, he tallied 66 points, with 24 goals and 42 assists. Renwick played junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers and led the team in his final season with 22 goals. He received the E.H. Motto McLean Leadership Award. This award is the player who displays qualities of dedication and leadership on and off of the ice to both the club and community.

- Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network

- Photo Credit: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

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