Building Brick by Brick: Kindel Earning Opportunities

When Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas outlined his expectations for training camp, he said they wanted younger players to assert themselves. One way they could do that is by pushing themselves to play in more preseason games.

That is what Ben Kindel, the 11^th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has done to this point. The 18-year-old forward appeared in his fourth exhibition game tonight in Detroit, which is the most among players remaining at training camp. Penguins Head Coach Dan Muse said that’s because of how Kindel has played.

“We didn't come in here saying all right, he's going to play in these four games. That wasn't the case,” Muse explained. “It's like, you get a little bit of a starting point, and then as we go, you want to see guys in more situations. I think it's been good for him. If we didn't feel that way, then we wouldn't have him playing in this game.”

Kindel scored his first goal of the preseason in Pittsburgh’s 2-1 win. The media actually pulled a bit of a reverse jinx after morning skate, asking Kindel about the scoring chances he had generated to that point.

“I think obviously would like to convert at some point, hopefully get my scoring touch here soon,” Kindel said with a smile. “But I think it's definitely easier when you're getting the chances, versus you get a bit more pressure when you're not getting the chances. So, I'm happy at least that they're coming. And I know eventually the puck will start to go in.”

On the play, Kindel – who lined up at center between Ville Koivunen and Avery Hayes – helped break the puck out before heading up the ice. Ryan Shea gave it back to Kindel between the hashmarks, where he managed to settle the puck and snap a shot past two-time NHL All-Star John Gibson despite being surrounded by red jerseys.

"Koivy made a good play in the D zone, popped to me, brought it over to Hayesy. He made a really nice play on the pinching D and Sheazy took over. Made a really nice play to me and just got a lucky break up the middle," Kindel said. "I think it was a good night. I think all the guys on our line were kind of going and clicking, so that helped. We were all reading off each other, so we had a few dangerous chances, and I think we had a solid game."

Dubas said that from the beginning of last season, Vice President of Player Personnel Wes Clark and his team had a lot of faith in Kindel. They felt strongly about taking Kindel where they did, even though many hadn’t projected him to go there.

“We had intel that he wasn’t going to go much further beyond [our pick]. And we just didn’t want to look back on it and say, ‘Geez, why did we pass on this guy that had 99 points (with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League) and then stepped up his game in the playoffs?’” Dubas said. “It has all the makings of one of these prototypical ones that we were going to kick ourselves about.

“Wes was certain about it for months that Ben should be in that mix and be a great pick. And he has great belief in him, and from what I’ve watched on tape and live, I see exactly what Wes is talking about.”

What stood out is Kindel’s intelligence and hockey sense.

“Understands the game at a super high level and he influences the game on both sides of the puck,” Clark said. “We think the upside is sky-high and we’ll do our best to help him improve in the areas he needs to improve in and see where it goes.”

Clark, Dubas and their crew liked what they saw, and now, so has Muse and his staff.

“Every rep you get just helps build confidence, put another brick down each day,” Kindel said. “So, every chance I get, I think it really helps me, and I'm grateful for the opportunities I've been getting.”

In terms of what Kindel has learned, being dialed in every day is the biggest takeaway.

“Just keeping my motor high, working hard every shift,” he said. “I think when I move my feet, good things start to happen, versus when I start to slow the game down a bit too much. And at this level, it's harder to slow the game down compared to the junior level. Everything happens so fast, and I think that's just been a really big key for me coming into this training camp."