New

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 9: Winger's High-upside Offensive Toolset A Worthwhile Gamble In First Round

It's officially another season, another prospects ranking for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In years past, this has been a bit easier of an exercise, as there used to be a more clear-cut line between prospects with NHL upside and longshots. However, because of the work that general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas and his staff have put in during the last several years, the line is blurring a whole lot more - and there is a substantially higher volume of talent in the system.

This time around, making a top-20 list was challenging. So, a few criteria were put into place: To make our list, prospects must be under the age of 26 and have played less than 50 NHL games. This excludes names such as Ben Kindel, Filip Hallander, Oliver Okuliar, and Alexander Alexeyev.

To kick off the top-10, we selected center Tristan Broz, whose health this season will probably determine whether or not he ends up sticking in the NHL. Shifting to the wing for No. 9, we discuss the Penguins' 2026 first-round pick who seems to have a dangerous and translatable offensive toolset.

No. 9: RW Liam Ruck

One of the best plays I have seen out of Liam Ruck comes on the Penalty Kill in the WHL Playoffs. Big time players make big time plays in the big moments.

Liam Ruck is not afraid to get in the middle of the ice. @PuckBunkerBoyce talked about how translatable Ruck’s goals he… pic.twitter.com/puA2O9XQey
— The Prospect Don (@TheProspectDon) April 14, 2026

Once Liam was selected by the Penguins with the 22nd overall pick in this year's draft, it was pretty much inevitable that his twin brother, Markus, was also going to be taken by Pittsburgh, too. And, yes, that did happen.

Much has been made about the development of the brothers together, which we covered when we highlighted Markus on this list at No. 15. And it's for good reason, as they were first and second in WHL scoring last season, with Markus leading the way at 21 goals and 108 points and Liam right behind him at 45 goals and 104 points for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Obviously, the two teaming up to dominate the league is no small thing, and the Penguins have both in their clutches. But the one thing that makes Liam stand out a bit from his brother is that 45.

This guy is a pure goal-scorer with a nasty release. And, regardless of whether he and his brother develop at the same pace or at different paces, that's something that should translate no matter who he ends up on a line with.

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?? THE TWINS ARE COOKING AGAIN!! ????????

Liam Ruck gets his 41st of the season to make it 3-0 for the Tigers! @tigershockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/El3PWFBA9l
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 11, 2026

Top-20 Penguins' Prospects 2026, No. 10: Center Will Be Player To Watch At Training CampNext up on THN's Top-20 Penguins' Prospects list at No. 10 is a two-way center who, with some better injury luck, should see more extended

Liam, 18, experienced a breakout WHL campaign last season, but it wasn't only the result of flanking Markus. The young scoring winger's hockey IQ was on display all season long, as he is able to outsmart defenders and will his way to scoring areas undetected. He has enough footspeed to win races to loose pucks, his shot has legitimate pop, and he is also an excellent distributor who rarely forces plays and instead finds the right one. All that was on display during the playoffs, too, when he put up eight goals and 12 points in 14 games.

But Liam's bread and butter is around the net front. He anticipates well, puts himself in open positions to score and create, consistently wins puck battles, and can finish off plays with a quick, deceptive release. He's also a good forechecker, and his stick seems to be a magnet for the puck.

"It's neat to see how he can get to open space and wants the puck in the shooting areas," director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said following development camp. "Some guys want the puck all the time, and it seems to me he wants the puck in the areas that he can score from."

Liam Ruck AGAIN!?! ????@tigershockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/jIMIJnZgnH
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 17, 2026

IT’S A BIRTHDAY BASH FOR LIAM RUCK!!! ????????

Liam Ruck snipes his 34th goal of the season and makes it 3-0 for the Tabbies@tigershockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/X4oGybr4FW
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 22, 2026

Offensively, Ruck has so much raw talent that is hard to ignore or dismiss, but the instincts are what separates him. If he can build out his two-way game a bit more, he should be an intriguing piece for the Penguins going forward, as he is one of the few forwards in their system with legitimate top-six upside.

“It's not just the talent,” Dubas said following the selection of Ruck. “It’s the talent plus the enthusiasm and the intelligence and how much he loves playing and contributing to a contending team and playing well in the playoffs for them. So, it was a number of different things that just made him what we felt was a great fit as a Pittsburgh Penguin.”

Next up for Liam - and Markus - is one more year with Medicine Hat before heading off to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season. He may be several years away from sniffing the NHL, but if he continues to grow his game, he will quickly become one of the organization's very best prospects.