Pittsburgh Penguins announce more roster cuts ahead of third preseason game including top draft pick

The Penguins continued to cut down their training camp roster Wednesday by reassigning forward Tanner Howe and defenseman Finn Harding to their respective junior teams. This is a normal part of the team's evaluation process leading up to an upcoming season. While it may be disappointing for the players who are getting cut, it's all part of the business.

Tanner Howe is a young left-winger who is very skilled and one of the Penguins' key selections of this year's NHL Draft class when the team picked him in the second round with the 46th overall pick. Howe is an average-sized prospect at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds and boasts some leadership potential after serving as a captain for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The leading scorer for the Pats during the 2022-23 season, Howe had 77 points in 68 games, by way of 28 goals and 49 assists. Howe did sign a three-year entry-level contract with the Penguins in July, which will kick in once he turns pro.

Despite such a strong junior track record, Tanner Howe had a very quiet preseason with the Penguins. He appeared in just one game and did not collect any points. He did, however, manage three shots on goal and four minutes in the sin bin. Howe's return to the WHL's Regina Pats should continue to serve his development well as the Penguins will likely hope that he keeps working on his offensive skills and leadership qualities before he finally makes the jump to the NHL one day.

On the other side of the ice is the defenseman Finn Harding, who was taken in the seventh round of the draft with the 223rd overall pick, and has yet to sign a deal with the Pens. The right-handed blueliner measures in at 6-foot-1 and weighs 199 pounds, and spent last season playing in the OHL with the Brampton Steelheads. He recorded 34 points in 68 games, scoring 10 times and adding 24 helpers. He did not get into any preseason action with the Penguins, but his NHL rights are held by the team until June 2026, so there is plenty of time to keep tabs on how he develops. This year just wasn't the right time for him.

With the subtractions of Tanner Howe and Finn Harding, the Penguins' current training camp roster count stands at 62 players. This will force the team to make more cuts as they inch closer to regular season play, so the rest of the prospects along with some veterans will battle it out for the small number of roster spaces. This will be a big development time of year for Howe and Harding as they work their skills in the juniors and try to prove they belong in the NHL very soon. The Penguins will, of course, be keeping a close eye on how well they are doing, well aware that their long-term success depends on how well their junior clubs foster their young talent.