Ben Kindel arrived in Pittsburgh with expectations tied to his draft slot, then spent his rookie season blowing past them.
Selected 11th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Penguins forward was supposed to spend the year with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. Instead, he walked into training camp, kept stacking strong practices, and then carried that momentum into preseason games.
Pittsburgh kept pushing him, and he kept answering. By the time opening night arrived, he had done enough to earn a roster spot.
Kindel’s NHL debut came against the New York Rangers on Oct. 7, and he looked ready from the start. He was sharp defensively, and he also helped drive some extended offensive-zone shifts.
Four days later, he scored his first NHL goal against the Rangers, then added another on Oct. 23 against the Florida Panthers. At that point, the nine-game trial had already turned into something much bigger.
What stood out most in those first few weeks was how complete his game looked. The hockey IQ was there.
The playmaking was there. The finishing touch was there, too.
So was the work away from the puck. That combination carried him the rest of the way.
Kindel finished the season with 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games, and he stayed in the lineup after the Penguins decided he was too important to keep out. Dan Muse initially had him on a pitch count, but Kindel kept getting more comfortable against NHL competition and forced the issue.
Even with a quiet finish to the year and no points in the playoffs, the big picture still points up. He’s only 19, and last season was the most games he has played in a single season.
Now comes the next step. Kindel has gone through a full NHL offseason workout routine and is expected to be bigger and stronger when the 2026-27 season opens at the end of September. He is slated to begin again as the third-line center behind Sidney Crosby and Tommy Novak, with Evgeni Malkin possibly getting some reps as the second-line center as well.
That setup makes sense for Pittsburgh and for Kindel. He can keep handling the same responsibilities for another season before eventually moving into a larger role. Long term, he still looks like a second-line center, but there’s no reason to rush him just to rush him.
There’s also real upside in the production. A 20-goal season is in play, and 40 to 45 points feels reachable if he keeps growing and clicks with his linemates. A pairing with Nick Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko would give him two proven finishers who can make defenses pay fast.
Special teams will remain part of the package, too. Kindel logged 140:31 on the power play last season and was a fixture on the second unit.
Four of his 17 goals and six of his 18 assists came with the man advantage. He should be back in that role again, with a chance to see some first-unit time if injuries open the door.
For the Penguins, Kindel is already a major piece of what comes next. For a player who was supposed to take a different route, he’s well ahead of schedule.
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