Harrison Brunicke, 19, and Ben Kindel, 18, have played in five of the Penguins’ first six games this season. If the Penguins wish to save a season on their entry-level contracts, they must send them to their respective junior teams once the nine-game threshold has been crossed.

Not long after the Penguins selected Ben Kindel with the 11th overall pick, his parents Steve Kindel and Sara Maglio did an interview for a profile. Both retired professional soccer players, they know

Anyone who has watched Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke knows how gifted the 19-year-old is offensively.

Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel skated with fellow Vancouver-area natives Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard this summer

When Ben Kindel took the ice at SAP Center for Pittsburgh’s 3-0 win over the Sharks on Saturday (full recap here), he was flying. He became the first 18-year-old with five-plus shots in a game for Pittsburgh since Jordan Staal did so in 2007.

It didn’t take long to realize how real the Pittsburgh Penguins’ youth movement became Saturday. In the main dressing room at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the nameplates illustrated that notion vividly.

At this point, it's well-known that Pittsburgh Penguins' 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel has exceeded expectations so far this season.