Tristan Broz had a whirlwind week.

The 23-year-old forward was called up to Pittsburgh from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday to provide forward depth. He did not play in that night’s game against Tampa Bay and was sent back down the next day.

He traversed the state in time to score two goals Wednesday night for the Baby Penguins. He added another assist Friday and a goal Saturday to push his team-leading point total to 28 in 36 games.

The 2021 second-round pick has eight points in his last five American Hockey League games and was named to the AHL All-Star Classic along with Sergei Murashov on Thursday.

He’s deserving of another shot with the Penguins. It’s strange that it didn’t happen the weekend of Jan. 10-11.

With Bryan Rust out for both games of a back-to-back set, the Penguins recalled Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who did not play in either. Kevin Hayes slotted into the lineup at center, Broz’s position. Broz was coming off a four-point night for the Baby Penguins on Jan. 9.

There’s no need to worry about his attitude, though. His media scrum after he was called up in November was one of the most memorable locker room interviews this season.

Broz described dropping to his knees with emotion when he got the call to come to Pittsburgh — it also saved him from a really bad bus ride card game — and he spent time thanking many of the people in his life who’d paved the way throughout his hockey career, from youth coaches to his parents.

“It was really cool,” Broz said at the time. “My mom was crying. My dad was grinning ear to ear. They were so happy. They put so much into this emotionally, financially and the commitment driving me to rinks. It’s just as much their moment as it is mine.”

Broz made his NHL debut Nov. 26 against Buffalo but was sent back down a few days later without playing again.

The passing ability is there, too. He dropped a dime in the slot to Gabe Klassen for the opening goal Friday.

But it’s not just about scoring. His energy and two-way play have helped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton score 58.1% of the goals when he’s on the ice, per AHL Tracker, including 61.9% in 5-on-5. Those numbers have jumped from 52.3% and 50%, respectively, last season.

The next time there’s an opening in the Penguins’ forward lineup, Broz would be a natural choice to fill it.

Around the world of Penguins prospects

—Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s other All-Star, Murashov, had a brilliant game Wednesday. He saved 36 of 37 shots.

He has been more beatable than he was early in the season. He surrendered four goals on 32 shots in a loss Friday. But he still has a .923 save percentage and 2.15 goals-against average amid major roster turnover for the Baby Penguins.

—Quietly, Joel Blomqvist’s AHL numbers are actually slightly better than Murashov’s. The 24-year-old former second-round pick has compiled a 2.04 goals-against average and .928 save percentage after saving 26 of 27 shots Saturday.

With Stuart Skinner dominating in his past few starts, Arturs Silovs largely playing well outside of shootouts and the two AHL stalwarts continuing to shut down opponents, the Penguins’ goalie situation is in a much better position than it seemed at the beginning of the season.

—Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defenseman Finn Harding, a 2024 seventh-round pick, scored his first career AHL goal Saturday and also added an assist. His nine points in 25 games might not stand out. But his team-leading plus-13 does.

The Baby Penguins have scored 65.6% of 5-on-5 goals with Harding on the ice, according to AHL Tracker.

—Will Horcoff, a 2025 Penguins’ first-round pick, entered the holiday break as the NCAA’s leading goal-scorer. He has yet to record a goal in four games since returning from World Juniors, but he has a pair of assists.

—One of the Penguins’ other 2025 first-round selections, Bill Zonnon, hasn’t had any trouble scoring of late. He’s got four goals and eight points in the last four games for Blainville-Boisbriand of the QMJHL.

—Forward Melvin Fernstrom, a 2024 third-round pick by the Canucks who was traded to Pittsburgh in February 2025, has been loaned from the top division of Swedish hockey to the second level. He was having a tough season with Orebro, totaling just four points in 34 games.

—Zam Plante, a 2022 Penguins fifth-round pick, is soaring up the NCAA scoring leaderboards with nine points in his last five games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He had two goals and an assist in a win over St. Cloud State on Saturday. He’s up to 33 points in 24 games this season playing alongside his younger brother, Max (a 2024 second-pick by Detroit).