Penguins 2025 Draft Review – Part 1: Ben Kindel

Three first-round picks in one night? That’s not something you usually see from the Penguins in this day and age, but Kyle Dubas is back to his old tricks. Instead of holding on to the 12th overall pick, he moved down in total Dubas fashion. Trading the 12th overall pick to Philly for picks 22nd and 31st, then flipping that 31st and a second-rounder (59) to L.A. to move back up to 24. A lot of fans were frustrated, especially with the idea of trading down instead of just taking two top-15 talents and calling it a day. And I get it—on the surface, it might feel like we gave up more than we got. But I don’t think it’s as bad as it seems, and I’ll get into why. For now, let’s break down the three guys we ended up with, what they bring to the table, what they could develop into and what I think of how the Penguins did in the first round, in this first part we will go over Ben Kindel. 

Now, before we get into the picks themselves, let me give a little context. Around Penguin Poop, I feel like I’ve kind of become “the prospect guy.” I know fellow writer “The Other Rick” knows his fair share about prospects too, but I think I just have more time to dedicate to it—or at least, I make the time. Every year, I dive headfirst into tracking potential draft picks, especially those projected to go in the first and second rounds. I try to watch as much as I can: full games when possible, highlights when I can’t, scouting reports, tournament clips—basically anything I can get my hands on. I also like keeping tabs on players who start heating up mid-season to see if they’re the real deal, and every year I go digging for hidden gems just for the fun of it. I was actually the one who brought up Bill Zonnon to my colleagues, Rick Buker and The Other Rick, saying I thought he was exactly the kind of player the Penguins needed—and maybe even a steal.

Now, I’m definitely not a scout, and I don’t claim to have eyes on every player, but I put in real time and effort—mostly because I’m borderline addicted to hockey. Actually, scratch that—I am addicted to hockey. So while I can’t promise I’ll always be right, I can say my opinions are based on watching these guys play, not just pulling names off a mock draft. I feel like I’ve earned a valid voice when it comes to how these players might shake out, and I’ll be as unbiased as I can. I’m a Penguins fan and I want this team to succeed—but I also believe in calling it like I see it.

Benjamin Kindel

Oh boy, did this pick rattle some cages. Honestly, even I was a little thrown off and frustrated at first. My reaction was mixed—on one hand, I’ve got a soft spot for Kindel. I love the heart he plays with, and there’s no denying the elite skill he brings. But I’ve also seen the other side of his game… and, well—ugh. Let’s just say words like “soft,” “pillowy,” “delicate,” or even “tender” come to mind. Alright, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but there’s no getting around the fact that he’s undersized. Not horribly so in terms of height—5’10” isn’t a death sentence—but at 180 pounds, he’s shall we say “light”. He could of course put weight on in the next one to three years of development, but if you’re going to be 5’10”, 180, you’ve got to be strong or big boned at the very least. And right now, strength is not a attribute Kindel possesses.

Most Penguins fans—myself included—were hoping for Kashawn Aitcheson: a big, tough, bruising defenseman with solid offensive upside. I still believe Dubas overthought this one and should’ve gone with Aitcheson. But I digress.

To Kindles credit, he doesn’t shy away from the tough areas—he’ll go into corners and battle despite his frame, kind of like a Jake Guentzel type. But the problem is, when contact happens, it’s like watching someone bumping into a hologram. I’ve seen guys his size breeze into him and come away with the puck.

You could probably knock him off the puck with a stern look and a sigh. Alright I’ve had my fun with the jokes, you get the idea, but that’s a huge concern. If players his own size can outmuscle him, what happens when he’s up against the big boys? In a league filled with Sam Bennetts, Zadorovs, Hathaways, and not one but two Tkachuks running wild, the NHL is not exactly a safe haven for the frail and feeble. And right now, that’s Kindel’s biggest hurdle.

So yes, he’s weak—and I mean that mostly in terms of physicality. Mentally, though, is actually one of his strong suits, and I’ll get to that in a bit. Now, onto another weakness: skating. Of course, he’s not the best skater out there. Kyle Dubas has a reputation for targeting weaker skaters as projects, and honestly, I don’t hate that approach. If you have a strong development team, skating is something you can improve, and sometimes you find a gem by taking a raw skater and helping him develop. But here’s the problem: Kindel is about 180 pounds and still not a great skater. Like I said, if you’re undersized, you want to make up for it with either strength, skating ability—and breakaway speed. That’s two big strikes against Benny boy.

Alright, we’ve talked about what he struggles with—so what does he actually bring to the table? Elite vision and playmaking. This kid has an uncanny ability to slow the game down and read plays, or flip the script and react quickly when needed. He’s beyond smart on the ice—hockey IQ is something that’s tough for a lot of players to master, especially under pressure. A common weakness is panicking or not seeing the ice clearly, but there’s zero panic in Kindel’s game.

Building on that hockey IQ is his playmaking—this kid has some of the slickest passing you’ll see. Filthy no-look dishes, perfectly mailed passes down the ice—it’s a joy to watch. He’s the kind of player who could help a guy like Jansen Harkins score 20 goals. (Okay, okay, I really need to stop ragging on Harkins. Forget it Caleb…. he can’t hurt you now.) Kindel’s vision is incredible. He reads the ice like a chess master, always thinking ten steps ahead, and somehow manages to create plays out of thin air.

He also plays a solid two-way game. Like I said, he gets to the tough spots, but he doesn’t try to muscle his way through. He knows his physical limitations and instead uses his stickwork to be a pesky nuisance—snagging pucks without getting tangled up in heavy contact.

His stickhandling is strong, though sometimes he tries to get a little too fancy and loses the puck. I won’t hold that against him much—it’s pretty common these days, with every kid wanting to dazzle.

Kindel has a sneaky good shot, especially on breakaways where he comes in slow and surprises goalies with quick little wrist shots. His wrister is accurate and comes off his stick with a lightning snap. His goal scoring isn’t as eye-popping as some others ranked above him, but it’s definitely enough to put up solid numbers at the NHL level. Like I said, his bread and butter is the vision and playmaking—he’s got some of the best in this draft class.

And lastly, one of my favorite traits—his mentality. I said I’d get to it, and here we are. Kindel’s a gamer. He’s got that never-give-up attitude, always competing, always pushing, and he genuinely loves to win. Yeah, I know every player says they “love to win,” but I want to see it. And with Kindel, you do. You see it in the way he battles, even when the odds aren’t in his favor. That kind of mentality is Penguin hockey. Or at least, it used to be. It hasn’t felt that way in recent years, so focusing on players who actually bring that mindset gets a big thumbs-up from me.

So overall? His weight and lack of physical strength are real concerns. I think they seriously hold him back from reaching the higher end of his NHL potential. He might do just fine during the regular season, but at his current size, he’s going to be injury-prone, and once the playoffs roll around, I worry he’ll disappear—outside of his two-way play, he’d be easy to neutralize. Teams will Shut. Him. Down.

For Kindel to truly reach his ceiling, he’ll need a dedicated strength coach. He has to put on a minimum of 8 to 10 pounds—ideally more—to get into the 190 possibly even 195 range, 195 being the best scenario, but that’s a reach. If he adds that weight, builds some real strength, and improves his skating even a bit, then yeah, he’s got the potential to be a very good player.

Personal Overall

• NHL Certainty: High (70% Chance)
• Ceiling: Elite.
• Floor: Top 9
• Top Nine Potential: Very High. (90% Chance)
• Middle Six Potential: High to Moderate. (70% Chance)
• Top Six Potential: Moderate. (50% Chance)
• Elite Potential: Low to Very Low. (Currently Leaning Low. 10% Chance)

Projection (If Development Stalls): If Kindel stays around the same weight, and doesn’t significantly improve his strength, and his skating remains a weak point, I think he projects as a middle-six forward. In that scenario, I could see him producing in the 35–45 point range, depending on his linemates and power play time. With occasional looks in the top six, he might even flirt with a 50-point season here or there—but that would likely be the ceiling.

Projection (If He Hits Key Development Goals): If he puts on around 10 pounds—bringing him into the 188–190+ range—and improves his strength and skating, then things start to shift in a big way. Factoring in his mentality and work ethic, I fully expect his game to grow with those physical gains. I believe he makes the NHL in either scenario, but with those improvements, he could absolutely flirt with elite status. His vision, stickhandling, and passing are already high-end. His playmaking alone looks NHL-ready—some of those dishes are just spectacular.

In that best-case trajectory, I project him as a high-probability top-six winger or center, capable of putting up 60–70 points consistently. There’s also a moderate chance he pushes into that next tier—an 80+ point or even point-per-game player if all the tools come together.

Point Projections:

Dubas clearly took a swing on upside here—betting on the potential of a high-skill player. The question is whether the Penguins’ development staff shares my view that he needs to bulk up and build strength, or if they believe the tools he has are already enough. Either way, it’s a project pick—but one that could pay off in a big way.

• Strengths:
  Playmaking ability, hockey IQ & vision, wrist shot, competitive mentality.
• Weaknesses:
  Lack of strength, undersized frame, below-average skating, overhandles the puck.

I’ll continue the series in my next articles with a breakdown of Will Horcoff—who I have a lot to say about and who I believe is the real steal of the Penguins’ draft—along with Bill Zonnon and Peyton Kettles. So stay tuned.