Penguins Rookie Forward Restoring Hope in Franchise Rebuild

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a pillar of superstars in the NHL since the 1980s, when Mario Lemieux transformed the organization from subpar to a championship one. Since then, they’ve gone from Lemieux, to Jaromir Jagr, to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin with minor interruptions between their star duos. That championship contention has finally caught up with them as they try to scratch and claw to return to the playoff picture this season.

Helping the Penguins in their quest is a rookie who has forced his way into their NHL plans much sooner than expected. Forward Ben Kindel, the team’s top draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is a player that has earned a full-time role with the Penguins and has restored hope and optimism to the organization’s rebuilding effort.

Building Blocks for Next Phase

When the Penguins selected Kindel with the 11th pick of the recent draft, there were some who casted doubt on the organization’s choice. Some felt they passed on superior talent and players with higher ceilings in order to choose Kindel.

But through 12 games of his first NHL campaign, it’s obvious to see what the Penguins fell in love with. Kindel’s game is so intelligent and thoughtful on both ends of the ice. His attention to detail is meticulous, and it’s light-years ahead of where a teenager usually is in terms of hockey sense.

It’s a small sample size, but Kindel’s play is inspiring continued confidence and trust from the coaching staff and restoring optimism in the organization’s rebuilding process. Heading into this season, the fanbase was tepid on the direction the team was heading. Many feared it would be a descent into the basement of the league, reminiscent of their pre-Crosby days in the early 2000s.

Instead, the Penguins are playing entertaining hockey. They are winning more than anyone projected, and they have talented young players gaining valuable experience playing alongside franchise legends like Crosby and Malkin and defensemen Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.

Getting to the Tough Areas

That intelligence is on display when he’s in the offensive zone and it’s why he’s been able to score at an impressive rate to begin the season. He has five goals in his first 12 games, tying him for first among NHL rookies with New York Islanders phenom Matthew Schaefer.

Kindel doesn’t possess an overpowering shot yet. What he does possess, however, is an incredibly accurate shot coupled with a deceptive release point and a tendency to get to the toughest, high-scoring areas.

Take Kindel’s two-goal game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. His first goal of the contest was a lucky bounce in the net, but it never happens unless he's already in the dirty areas of the offensive zone. A shot on goal creates a rebound, but Kindel is conveniently adjacent to the goal crease and able to knock in the rebound.

Hockey player moves the puc — Oct 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) moves the puck ahead of Vancouver Canucks left wing Kiefer Sherwood (44) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Fast forward to his second goal of the game, and again it’s a credit to Kindel’s ability to get to the tough areas. He patiently waits and slips into the slot as Malkin and Bryan Rust play catch with the puck. Malkin then finds Kindel who wires a perfectly placed shot past Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz.

Kindel’s play has been instrumental to the Penguins start this season. The team is surprising the entire NHL, and the emergence of another young foundational piece for the organization is reviving hope and optimism that this rebuild could be completed sooner than anyone thinks.

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