Going into Pittsburgh Penguins' training camp this season, it's safe to say that most folks did not have 2025 11th overall pick Ben Kindel making the NHL roster out of the gate.
Defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke? Maybe, but even that was a huge question mark. The Penguins had four right-side defenseman with NHL experience penciled in to crack the roster, even if Brunicke had already impressed the Penguins' organization during his 2024 camp.
But, against all odds, both teenagers did make the NHL roster out of training camp and earned at least a nine-game trial with the big club.
Brunicke, 19, registered his first NHL goal Thursday in a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders, which was a beautiful wrist shot through a screen from the slot. Kindel, 18, scored his in the very next game - a 6-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday - which was a Phil Kessel-esque long-range wrister from the right wing off the rush.
Both players have one goal and are a plus-1 after three NHL games. Both have shown improvement with each passing pre-season and regular season game. And both players could be sent back to the Western Hockey League (WHL) before their respective entry-level contracts kick in at Game No. 10.
Three games in, it is already looking like they no longer belong in junior hockey. Now, they're making a very strong case to stick around for good.
It's important to note that Kindel and Brunicke are not a package deal. One has an additional year of seasoning in junior hockey, they play different positions and fill different needs for this Penguins' team, and they are at different places in their development, even if they are both showing well in the early parts of the season.
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For one, there is a size factor to consider, even if it should not be the deciding factor in terms of whether a player stays or goes. Brunicke is 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, while Kindel is 5-foot-11, 181 pounds. Development also looks different for forwards and defensemen. Oftentimes, it takes longer for defensemen to fully develop and settle into their NHL roles.
There is a very real possiblity that only one of them - even none of them - will stay in the NHL beyond nine games this season. There are players set to come off of injured reserve, including forwards Kevin Hayes and Rutger McGroarty, at some point. Hayes made the road trip to Southern California, meaning there is a chance he will play sometime this week.
For Hayes to be activated, someone has to go - whether that's Hayes himself or someone else - as the Penguins are at their full 23-man roster capacity. With Ville Koivunen already optioned back to the AHL level, that means that no one on the roster is waiver-exempt aside from Kindel and Brunicke, neither of which are AHL-eligible and must be sent back to their junior teams.
If they are sent back to their junior teams, they must remain there until the end of their respective junior seasons. And something about that just doesn't seem fair to either player.
Youth Movement Cultivating Fresh Identity For PenguinsOn Thursday night against the New York Islanders,
Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke became the first teenager to score a goal for the Penguins since Daniel Sprong in 2015.
Brunicke is already proving to be one of the Penguins' best-six defensemen, and he's probably not at the bottom of that list, either. His skating is a marvel to watch, and his hockey sense - especially his offensive instincts - is impressive for a teenage blueliner. He does still have some room for improvement as far as his decision-making in the defensive zone, but those reads will come with more experience at the NHL level.
Quite simply, there is nothing left for him to learn in junior hockey. His development, at this point, is best-served to happen at the NHL level this season, even if he doesn't play in all 82 games. There is a lot of value in him being taken under the wing of veterans like Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang and learning from them, especially since he has a high degree of offensive upside.
Things aren't much different for Kindel on the forward front. He has been centering the third line - primarily with Tommy Novak and Filip Hallander on his wings - and he doesn't look a touch out of pace. Kindel's hockey smarts are off the charts, and his reads are already up to NHL speed. He's winning battles on the walls, he's beating guys to pucks, and he is finding and creating the space to generate chances - both in the offensive zone and transitioning out of the defensive zone.
Yes, Kindel could return to the Calgary Hitmen for a year and dominate the league. His 35 goals and 99 points in 65 games were second only to Michael Misa in CHL scoring among 2025 draft-eligible forwards last season. But, if he's already miles ahead of his junior competition - and has already proven capable of measuring up to NHL competition - is there any real benefit for his development in sending him back, especially if they can manage Kindel's workload in a similar way to Brunicke's?
Honestly, a large part of whatever decisions Kyle Dubas and company make with regards to these players may come down to whether or not they're comfortable allowing either or both players' three-year contract timelines to begin this season. But, even still, is that worth potentially stunting their development if they are indeed ready to compete at the NHL level?
One thing is for certain: This Western road trip is a critical one for both players. There's still a small possibility that one or both of them could take a step back in the next three games, which could make any decisions a bit easier for the Penguins.
But if they continue to trend upward, those decisions will almost certainly be made harder. It would be the easier path for the Penguins to simply pull the plug on one or both instead of placing veterans on waivers in order to make way for the teenage rookies to stick around, especially since there are other, slightly older prospects who are probably deserving of a shot at the NHL roster as well.
In this case, the Penguins should take the hard path. If this team is truly keen on prioritizing youth and development at the NHL level this season, they are at a place where they need to show a culture shift, let the kids play, and figure out the rest.
After all - so far - they've earned their stay.
Mike Sullivan's Time In Pittsburgh Deserves To Be CelebratedIf folks have been keeping tabs on the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last year and a half, they very well know that the organization is going through a plethora of change.
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