Penguins Downgrade Benjamin Kindel To Week-To-Week

The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without an important energy piece to begin the 2026-27 season. The team expects center Benjamin Kindel to be out week-to-week, director of minor league operations Amanda Kessel told media including Dan Potash of SportsNet Pittsburgh. Kindel sustained a lower-body injury in the first period of Pittsburgh’s Monday preseason matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. He was initially ruled out day-to-day.

Kindel is headed the wrong way with Pittsburgh’s regular season set to kick off in six days. He was thee breakout player on the 2025-26 roster, securing 17 goals and 35 points in a robust, middle-six role in a season many expected him to spend in juniors.

The 2026-27 season will be a chance for the 19-year-old Kindel to grow even more. He is one of only five Penguins to score at least 30 points in their age-18 season – joining Sidney Crosby (102), Jaromir Jagr (57), Jordan Staal (42), and Doug Bodger (31). Every player in that group, even defenseman Bodger, elevated their scoring over the course of their careers.

More than a promising scorer, Kindel’s work ethic and defense made him a reliable option in the Penguins’ center group. He took the second-most faceoffs on the team (649), behind only Crosby (1,401), and won 43.6 percent of those draws. Kindel also recorded 58 shot blocks, third-most on the offense. He worked his way into a concrete role in Pittsburgh’s lineup and seemed well-set for a bump in minutes in 2026-27.

Instead, the Penguins will need to change course for the start of the year. Kindel’s absence will likely promote Thomas Novak to the Penguins’ second-line role, while Connor Dewar and Hendrix Lapierre fill space behind him. It could be a particularly strong opportunity for Lapierre, who joined Pittsburgh from the Washington Capitals over the summer, to make a strong impression on his new club.

Kindel will have roughly a week to recover before being forced to miss regular-season action. The Penguins have four games in the first seven days of their season.