Penguins A to Z: After NCAA title, Tristan Broz takes his 1st steps as a professional

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 51 individuals signed to an NHL contract — including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.

This series is scheduled to be published every weekday leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Cap Friendly.)

Tristan Broz

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 21

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 190 pounds

2023-24 AHL postseason statistics: Two games, zero points

2023-24 NCAA statistics (including postseason): 43 games, 40 points (16 goals, 24 assists)

Contract: Entering the first year of a three-year entry-level contract with a salary cap hit of $925,000. Pending restricted free agent in 2027.

(Note: Broz is exempt from waivers for any transaction to a minor league affiliate.)

Acquired: Second-round draft pick (No. 58 overall), July 24, 2021

This season: Tristan Broz had come a long way entering his junior year at the University of Denver.

Then he went even further.

A son of Minnesota, Broz committed to the hallowed University of Minnesota program and had things gone as scripted, he would have been the next great homegrown star for the Golden Gophers.

But that script needed a pretty big re-write after Broz largely struggled with the expectations of playing for that program as a native of the state during his freshman season of 2021-22.

That led to him transferring to Denver and joining the Pioneers in July of 2022.

After showing steady improvement with his new surroundings as a sophomore in 2022-23, Broz opened his junior season on the left wing of Denver’s second line before being quickly slotted down to the left wing of the third line, primarily remaining in that station until early February. During that span, he posted 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in his first 26 games of the season.

No high stick here as Tristan Broz redirects in the puck to stretch his point streak to 5 games tying a career long.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/XjydImze48

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) December 2, 2023

By Feb. 3, injuries elsewhere in the lineup led to a promotion for Broz as he became the center of the top line and his production took off. In his final 17 games of the season, including the NCAA tournament, he generated 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) and enjoyed six games with multiple points.

REPLAY: Broz buries it (that has a nice ring to it).#GoPios pic.twitter.com/f2RACadTrb

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) February 25, 2024

In the postseason, Broz really created something of a legacy with Denver by scoring two overtime goals.

The first came during a 2-1 win against Massachusetts in a regional semifinal contest on March 28.

Then Broz struck again in a 2-1 victory against Boston University in a Frozen Four semifinal game April 11.

After Denver won the program’s 10th national championship on April 13, Broz opted to turn professional and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as an amateur tryout contract at the American Hockey League level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the remainder of the season.

Broz made his professional debut by playing in each of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s postseason games. Primarily deployed as center of the third line, Broz did not record a point as the Penguins were swept in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs by the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms, falling in a best-of-three first-round series, 2-0.

The future: Broz is one of the Penguins’ better prospects, if only because the pool of candidates is still limited after the franchise largely ignored future assets for more than a decade in the pursuit of winning in the immediate sense.

He was a second-round pick and has plenty of skill but given his slow rise through the NCAA ranks, plenty of refinement is still required for him to be a legitimate threat to reach the NHL.

That said, there’s plenty to be intrigued by. While his skating is commonly cited as an area in need of improvement, he is a creative and eager playmaker when on the attack.

But he’ll need some time to reach the NHL after taking his first steps as a professional.

Follow the Penguins all season long.