Penguins activate Ben Kindel, place David Gustafsson on waivers

Selected 11th overall by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft, Kindel shocked most onlookers by forcing his way onto the Penguins’ roster for the 2025-26 season as an 18-year-old. The 5’11” center collected 17 goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Penguins in his rookie season; he did not record a point in six games with the club during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kindel was a full participant in Penguins practice on Friday, skating between Connor Dewar and Andrei Kuzmenko on the club’s fourth line. Kuzmenko is also slated to make his season debut on Saturday after missing the season opener on personal leave after his father’s death.

The Penguins acquired Gustafsson from the Winnipeg Jets on June 29 in exchange for defenseman Jack St. Ivany; six days later, the club signed Gustafsson to a one-year, $850,000 contract for the 2026-27 season. A 6’3″ checking center from Tingsryd, Sweden, Gustafsson has collected eight goals and 22 points in 160 career games with the Jets across the regular season and playoffs.

The Canadiens will visit the Penguins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Saturday with both teams looking to improve to 2-0-0 on the season. Six different Penguins players scored in their season-opening 7-0 rout over the Flyers, with Nick Robertson and Filip Hallander leading the way with two goals and three points, respectively. Meanwhile, the Canadiens kicked off their season with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 29.