Observations from Thursday’s Penguins Practice

The Pittsburgh Penguins practiced on Thursday, and the players were split into two groups. The first one consisted of many players who are expected to be in the AHL this year, while the second was the main NHL group. 

It came one night after the Penguins secured their fourth-straight preseason win. They beat the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, 5-3, thanks to goals from Filip Hallander, Matt Dumba, Ville Koivunen, Tristan Broz, and Avery Hayes. They’ll play the Sabres again on Friday in their final preseason game before the regular season starts next week. 

Speaking of the regular season, here’s a look at a few observations from Thursday’s practice and where some players currently stand.

– Owen Pickering and Tristan Broz were in the first practice at 10:30 a.m. ET, a sign that they could be starting the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Both have been competing for spots on the NHL roster during training camp, but the competition is fierce. 

– Sebastian Aho, Danton Heinen, Philip Kemp, Joona Koppanen, Filip Larsson, and Valtteri Puustinen were also practicing with the first group before being placed on waivers at 2 p.m. ET. If all of them go unclaimed, they will be eligible to be reassigned to WBS. 

– Top prospects Benjamin Kindel and Harrison Brunicke were practicing with the main NHL group starting at Noon ET and are trying to secure at least nine-game trials to open the 2025-26 season. Brunicke was skating a lot with Connor Clifton during practice, but also got some time with Ryan Shea. Kindel was skating with Tommy Novak and Philip Tomasino, while Filip Hallander also rotated on that line. 

Kindel continues to look better and better in each preseason game he plays in, and has really impressed Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. 

“He’s got a lot of poise with the puck, a lot of speed. Those two things probably stand out the most,” Crosby said after Thursday’s practice. “I think he’s using his speed well, he’s finding guys. He distributes the puck really well and he seems like he’s confident. It doesn’t seem like it’s been too fast for him or anything like that to this point. He’s done a great job, so, sometimes it takes time to adjust to all of that, but it seems like with every game he’s getting more and more comfortable.”

With Bryan Rust on the mend for a minimum of two weeks, there’s an opportunity for Kindel to get a taste of NHL action if he can finish the preseason in style.  

– Caleb Jones has continued to be paired with Kris Letang during practice, and there’s a chance that could be the second pair to open the season. Jones and Letang started getting reps together when training camp opened, and the two have continued to be a pairing in scrimmages, other practices, and on September 21, when Marc-Andre Fleury played the third period of the Penguins-Jackets preseason game. 

Jones played in only six NHL games last season and has played a total of 31 NHL games over the past two years. He and Letang are on the roster for Friday’s preseason finale against the Sabres, so we’ll see if they get some more game reps before the Penguins open the regular season on Tuesday against the New York Rangers. 

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– Parker Wotherspoon and Erik Karlsson were also a pair during practice again, and it appears those two will be on the top pair to open the season. They also played together during the September 21 preseason game and have already formed some solid chemistry.

Wotherspoon is the Penguins’ best player on the left side of their defense and can help cover for Karlsson if he’s pinching in the offensive zone. The Penguins signed Wotherspoon to a two-year contract when free agency opened on July 1.

The players that are on the roster for Friday’s preseason game will skate at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex at 10:30 a.m. ET before playing the Sabres at 7 p.m. ET. Fans in the Pittsburgh area can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ or listen to the game on 105.9 ‘The X.’

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