The Pittsburgh Penguins' Next Big Star Has Arrived and He's Only Getting Started
Photo credit: Edit from Pittsburgh Hockey Now
The Penguins have found their next star, and he's right under their nose in the name of Ben Kindel, their first-round draft pick in 2025, as he's dominating.
It was a tough finish, but Ben Kindel's effort in the Pittsburgh Penguins' loss to Toronto represented another major leap in the rookie's early NHL career.
The 18-year-old forward scored twice in the 4-3 defeat, the first multi-goal game by a Penguins teenager since Olli Maatta in 2014.
Kindel now ranks sixth all-time among Penguins players aged 18 or younger with five goals, behind Sidney Crosby (39), Jordan Staal (29), Jaromir Jagr (18), Craig Simpson (7), and Doug Bodger (5).
He also became just the fifth teenager in Penguins history to record a multi-goal outing before reaching the age of 19, joining Crosby, Jagr, Staal, and Simpson.
Kindel's first goal came late in the opening period, as he crashed the net and redirected a loose puck. His second came midway through the second frame, a power-play marker that banked off the post and in.
Ben Kindel leads all 2025 draft picks in goals this season
By that point, he had matched nearly the entire combined goal total of all other 2025 draft picks; only New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (five goals) and San Jose's Michael Misa (one) have scored at all.
Last week, Pittsburgh burned the first year of his entry-level contract, a move that certainly looks justified now.
While Monday's third-period collapse stung, the night offered a clear glimpse of the Penguins' future.
Kindel's mix of skill, confidence, and poise continues to validate Kyle Dubas' decision to select him 11th overall, and he's quickly emerging as one of the early stars of his draft class.
The fans are no doubt very excited to continue to watch him play, and he is going to be mesmerizing for the next decade, that's for sure.
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