The kids are all right. The Pittsburgh Penguins made their selections Saturday morning and will let teenagers Harrison Brunicke and Ben Kindel stick around a while longer, while cutting bait with problematic defenseman Ryan Graves.
The team is sending prospects Tristan Broz, Owen Pickering, Avery Hayes, and goalie Sergei Murashov to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
At 2 p.m., the team will waive Graves, Sam Poulin, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Boko Imama, and Alexander Alexeyev.
Graves has four years remaining on his contract with a $4.5 million average annual value.
Robby Fabbri has been released from his PTO.
The team is also keeping Filip Hallander.
The Penguins’ roster drama stemmed from the emergence of 18-year-old Kindel, who was the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, 11th overall. Kindel started slow, but finished preseason as one of the Penguins’ smartest defensive forwards and crafty in the offensive zone.
As his confidence grew, so, too, did his skating.
Brunicke, 19, emerged as an offensive threat, able to lead the rush and jump into the play. Brunicke has also shown to be a capable defender, though his tendency to hold onto the puck for too long caused a few turnovers.
Brunicke will get a chance to hone his game further. His goal Friday with an individual rush and top-corner shot may have confirmed his status, removing any doubt if he could help the team.
Both Kindel and Brunicke must play in the NHL or WHL this season, as neither is eligible to play in the AHL. Both could be returned to the WHL after playing up to nine NHL games without burning a year of their entry-level contract.
The moves also mean that Hallander and Philip Tomasino made the cut, as did defensemen Caleb Jones, Matt Dumba, and Connor Clifton.
The Penguins have eight defensemen, two goalies, and 13 forwards on the roster.
Forwards Kevin Hayes, Bryan Rust, and Rutger McGroarty are injured and could cause additional moves when they are healthy. Rust is out for two weeks, while Hayes will be re-evaluated for an upper-body injury in mid-October. There is no timetable for McGroarty’s injury, though he has resumed skating.
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Categorized: Penguins News