Pittsburgh’s preseason got messy in a hurry Monday, and the hits kept coming beyond the scoreboard.
Benjamin Kindel was the first Penguin to go down, leaving the team’s preseason game early with a lower-body injury, according to a team announcement. He had been skating on a line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Bryan Rust, and the trio generated two shots across six shifts before Kindel’s night ended. In his place, Pittsburgh bumped Connor Dewar and Tristan Broz into the mix.
Kindel’s status is worth watching as the 2026-27 campaign approaches. He broke out in his rookie season with 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games, production few expected from a player many thought would still be outside the pro ranks. Now he looks like a real part of Pittsburgh’s top-nine, with room to take another step.
The Penguins also had another injury scare later in the day when Ville Koivunen left practice after taking a puck to the face, per King Jemison of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Koivunen was ruled out of Monday’s preseason action, which opened the door for Avery Hayes and Tanner Howe to get more run.
The 23-year-old winger signed an eight-year extension this offseason, and that deal has already put a spotlight on his 2026-27 season. He had seven points in 39 NHL games last season and added 41 points in 34 AHL games.
It’s still unclear whether Monday’s issue will affect his availability for the start of the season.
Elsewhere around the preseason, the New York Rangers lost Adam Sykora in the first period of their matchup after he sustained a lower-body injury. The team announced the injury, and Sykora appeared to be dealing with his right knee after a collision with New Jersey Devils defenseman Mikael Diotte.
He needed help getting off the ice after the hit. Before leaving, he had one shot block in four shifts.
Sykora was trying to win a bottom-six job with New York after posting five points in 11 NHL games last season. He also put up 29 points in 62 AHL games during his third full season in the league. Depending on how serious the injury turns out to be, his absence could disrupt the Rangers’ plans heading into the season.
Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro also had a shortened night, exiting Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings after the second period with an upper-body injury. He logged seven minutes, blocked one shot and delivered one hit before leaving.
Last season, Fabbro averaged 16:34 of ice time over 74 games with Columbus, finishing with 11 points, a minus-16 rating and 33 penalty minutes. If he’s healthy, he should still be in line for a third-pair role, though that could change if the injury carries into the regular season.
In Other News...
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have An Opening Night Blue Line Concern
The Blue Jackets were already working through the usual late-preseason roster sorting when the back end took a hit in Mondays game against Detroit. Dante Fabbro, projected to open the regular season on Columbus third defensive pairing, went down with an upper-body injury and did not return, a development that adds a little more uncertainty to a group that was trying to settle into shape before opening night.
For a team that wants stability on the blue line, the timing is far from ideal, especially with the regular season looming. If Fabbro is forced to miss time, veteran Erik Gudbranson looms as the most likely next man up, giving the Jackets a familiar, sturdier option while they wait to see how serious the injury is and how the rest of the defensive picture sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Win Comes With An Early Dante Fabbro Concern
The Blue Jackets got through their first preseason game with a win on the board, but the more immediate takeaway had little to do with the shootout finish. Columbus and its coaching staff were left to monitor Dante Fabbro, who exited early with an upper-body injury after logging a little over 8 minutes and will be reevaluated Tuesday morning, a reminder that September results often matter less than simply getting everyone through healthy.
The game itself never produced a goal in regulation, so the outcome came down to the skills competition and a handful of small details that preseason often magnifies. Columbus will gladly take the victory, but the focus now shifts to Fabbros status and whether the Blue Jackets have to deal with an early defensive absence before the exhibition slate really gets moving. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Give Several Bubble Players Another Big Chance In Buffalo
The Blue Jackets are using their preseason trip to Buffalo as another look at a group of players still trying to carve out NHL roles for the 2026-27 season. Columbus has already rolled out its roster for the game, and it offers one more opportunity for coaches to sort through the fringe of the lineup while players with something to prove get meaningful game action instead of practice reps.
The setup also gives fans an easy way to keep tabs on the competition, with the game available live on BlueJackets.com and the CBJ App, plus radio coverage on 97.1 the Fan. For a roster battle that is still taking shape, nights like this matter because every shift can help push a bubble player a little closer to staying in the conversation, even if the final decision is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]