The Pittsburgh Penguins got their preseason rolling Monday night with a lopsided win over the Buffalo Sabres, and the first look at camp competition already gave a few players a chance to help their case. It also came with a hit to the lineup: Ben Kindel was injured during the first period and did not return for the second.
Buffalo, for its part, didn’t exactly show up with a group that made the night feel like a real test. Still, preseason games only matter if somebody takes advantage of them, and that was the point of the exercise.
Which Penguins prospects looked sharp? Which pair stood out?
That was the focus coming out of the opener.
There was also a closer look at two former high draft picks who are fighting uphill in camp. Rutger McGroarty and Tristan Broz may not be positioned to make the team, though one of them probably should, and both are trying to make the most of reduced opportunity. The story digs into how they’re handling that reality and what they’re working on to get to the next level for good.
Away from Pittsburgh, one trade-related angle worth watching involves Adam Fantilli and the Columbus Blue Jackets, though the situation is still a bit murky. Columbus has gotten some help from Cutter Gauthier, who agreed to an AAV of $13.5 million. Gauthier’s numbers are better than Fantilli’s, which makes the whole thing worth a second look.
There’s also a possible undercurrent of resistance around NHL expansion. Elliotte Friedman addressed that on the Sportsnet TV side, noting that Gary Bettman remains a formidable figure and that pushing back on him takes real backbone. The question now is whether owners will actually challenge his expansion push.
In Nashville, new GM Chris MacFarland is moving quickly to reshape the Predators, much like a team trying to retool without fully stopping the wheels. He has a clear type of player in mind, and the early stages of that overhaul are already underway.
Elsewhere, the New Jersey Devils’ three-goalie setup may already be showing cracks. The Hughes brothers are rolling, but the goaltending situation has raised a red flag.
And in St. Louis, the Blues are looking to move some of their bottom-six forwards onto the trade market to create room.
In Other News...
Penguins Suddenly Have A Worrying Injury Question At Center
Ben Kindel gave the Penguins a promising look in Mondays preseason game against the Sabres, skating on a line with Bryan Rust and Andrei Kuzmenko before the night took an unwelcome turn. Pittsburgh said the center left after the first period because of a lower-body injury, cutting short what had been a strong start to the evening.
The immediate concern for the Penguins is less about one preseason game than what Kindels absence could mean for a spot that is already worth watching closely. There was no update on the severity of the injury, leaving the team and the player in a familiar early-season holding pattern while they wait to learn whether this is a brief setback or something more disruptive. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Suddenly Have A Dante Fabbro Concern To Watch
Preseason has already started to test Pittsburghs depth, with forward Benjamin Kindel leaving Mondays game early because of a lower-body injury after the team announced his exit. The Penguins have also had to manage winger Ville Koivunen, who was hurt in practice when he took a puck to the face and then missed the next preseason game, underscoring how quickly training camp can get messy before the games even count.
Around the division, the injury pileup has not been limited to Pittsburgh, either. New York Rangers forward Adam Sykora also left his preseason game with an injury, and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro suffered one of his own during preseason action, adding another layer of concern for a team that would much rather be sorting out lineup decisions than watching the injury report this early. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Came Much Closer To A Fleury Reunion Than Fans Knew
Marc-Andre Fleurys name still carries a different kind of weight in Pittsburgh, and a recent revelation from former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford adds another layer to that lingering connection. Speaking on a podcast, Rutherford said he came much closer than fans realized to bringing Fleury back after his run with the Vegas Golden Knights, with trade talks taking place around the 2021 offseason before the idea fell apart.
For Penguins fans, it is the sort of near-miss that invites a lot of what-if debate, even if Rutherford suggested the reunion would have been more memorable than transformative. Instead, Fleury wound up going to the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving Pittsburgh to wonder how different it would have felt to see one of the franchises most popular players return in black and gold for another run. [Read more 🡒]