No head coach in the country wants to lose five of his top six scorers, including his top four, but that’s the reality Penn State hockey coach Guy Gadowsky now faces after JJ Wiebusch entered the transfer portal.
Wiebusch’s departure is significant, even if it doesn’t come as a total shock. He looked like one of Penn State’s most dangerous offensive players early in this past season, scoring 11 goals in his first 10 games, a stretch highlighted by a four-goal outburst against Clarkson Oct. 9. At that point, Wiebusch appeared poised to become one of the focal points of Penn State’s attack and perhaps one of the breakout scorers in the Big Ten.
But as the season moved deeper into conference play, circumstances changed. Penn State’s injuries mounted, particularly down the middle, and the lineup instability affected the flow of the offense.
Wiebusch’s production tapered off considerably, with the sophomore from River Falls, Wisconsin, scoring only seven goals during Big Ten play.
Although he still averaged almost 16 minutes of ice time over his last 27 games and posted 18 points in that span (five goals and 13 assists), the year didn’t finish with the same momentum with which it started. Given that context, his transfer doesn’t come as a complete surprise.
Now comes the much larger question for Penn State: where does the offense come from next season?
The challenge is massive. The Nittany Lions are in position to lose 58.3% of their offense to graduation, early departures and now the transfer portal.
Although it isn’t yet official that freshman phenom Gavin McKenna will leave for the NHL, all signs continue to point in that direction. McKenna is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, and there’s little left for him to prove at the college level from a stock-building standpoint.
Barring a stunning turn, Penn State should expect McKenna to be in the NHL this fall.
That means the team’s returning offensive core will have to be dramatically different.
One possible answer is that Gadowsky’s offense could be driven, at least in part, from the blue line.
Jackson Smith has already shown that he can be a major offensive weapon from the back end. The Blue Jackets’ 2025 first-round pick emerged as one of the top goal-scoring defensemen in the Big Ten last season, finishing with 11 goals. That total set a Penn State program record for goals by a defenseman, and his 26 points tied Trevor Hamilton’s 2016-17 season for the sixth-most by a defenseman in school history.
Smith is not just a strong pro prospect. He is already the kind of player who can change a game with his movement, instincts, and finishing ability.
Then there is Mac Gadowsky, who may be asked to shoulder a much more aggressive offensive role next season.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.During his first year at Penn State, he was asked to focus heavily on the defensive side of his game and round out his overall play. But his offensive pedigree is well established. Before arriving in Hockey Valley, Gadowsky led all NCAA defensemen in scoring at Army West Point with 42 points in 2024-25. If Penn State needs more creation from the back end, he is an obvious candidate to provide it.
Still, Penn State cannot rely on defensemen alone to replace this kind of lost scoring. The burden up front will fall on a combination of returning players making real jumps and newcomers arriving ready to contribute.
The first returning forward who looms large is Shea Van Olm.
A year ago, Van Olm arrived with substantial hype after leading all WHL skaters with 49 goals in 2024-25. His first season at Penn State was more of an adjustment period than an immediate takeover, as he worked to adapt his power-forward game to the NCAA level. At times, the challenge for Van Olm was finding the balance between playing with aggression and staying disciplined, something that is easier said than done for a player with his style.
But when Van Olm found that balance, he became a real force. He scored nine goals over his final 12 games and looked increasingly dangerous around the net while spending far less time in the penalty box than he had earlier in the year. If there is a returning player most likely to take a major offensive jump, Van Olm may be the best candidate.
Luke Misa is another player Penn State will need more from. Injuries to Charlie Cerrato and Dane Dowiak forced Misa into a far larger role than originally planned, including stretches centering the top line. The former five-star prospect and Calgary Flames draft pick finished with 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists in 37 games. Those numbers are solid, but Penn State will need more than solid next season. If Misa can translate the experience he gained this past year into more consistent production, he has the skill set to become a central figure in the offense.
Leadership also becomes even more important in a roster transition like this one, and Penn State will need a great deal from Reese Laubach and a healthy Dane Dowiak. Dowiak’s season-ending injury against Michigan on Feb. 13 was a major blow, especially because of everything he brought beyond the scoresheet. He led all Penn State skaters with a plus-16 rating, a number that reflected his strong two-way play and steady influence. If he returns healthy, he could be one of the players who helps stabilize the lineup while also chipping in more offensively.
Laubach, meanwhile, already showed last season that he can be trusted in a variety of roles. He took on a significant leadership burden while serving as an alternate captain in Dowiak’s absence and played up and down the lineup wherever Gadowsky needed him. He finished with 28 points on 12 goals and 16 assists in 37 games, and that type of versatility will be critical again. Penn State does not just need Laubach to be steady. It may need him to be one of the engines of the offense.
Then there is the next wave.
Penn State’s most promising incoming offensive help appears to be up front, where Kale Dach, Pierce Mbuyi, and Kieren Dervin stand out as the most accomplished scorers on paper. Dach posted 34 goals and 73 points in 63 games for Calgary in the WHL, making him the most proven goal scorer in the class. Mbuyi has been highly productive early in his OHL career, building a resume that now includes 114 points in 114 games across two seasons with Owen Sound. Dervin also brings an attractive offensive profile after recording 42 points in 53 games for Kingston, giving Penn State another forward with balanced scoring ability.
Beyond that group, Shea Busch and Liam Beamish look like secondary offensive options, while defenseman Ethan Weber may have the best chance to provide immediate offense from the blue line. Busch’s WHL totals are more modest, but his size and finishing touch still make him intriguing. Beamish posted 33 points in 66 games for Sarnia and projects as more of a steady support scorer. Weber, however, may be the most interesting long-term addition of all after putting up 14 goals and 51 points in 68 games for Penticton. If Penn State needs offense from the back end right away, he has the resume to suggest he could help.
Of course, the transfer portal remains the wild card. As of this writing, it is unknown exactly what Penn State will pursue there, but that option remains available to Gadowsky. How he balances the need for immediate offensive help with longer-term roster construction will be one of the most important storylines of the offseason.
Penn State will unquestionably lose a lot heading into 2026-27. There is too much offensive production leaving to pretend otherwise. But the Nittany Lions may be reloading more than rebuilding if the right pieces take the next step, the newcomers arrive ready, and the portal fills in a few key gaps.
