The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in action on Saturday evening against the Montreal Canadiens, who make their first trip of the season to PPG Paints Arena in downtown Pittsburgh.
It marks the return of hockey for the Penguins in front of their home fans for the first time since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal earlier this spring against the divisional rival Philadelphia Flyers, whom they beat decisively by a 7-0 score in the opening contest of the season earlier in the week.
But before the game, the Penguins announced a key personnel decision involving a veteran first-year Pittsburgh forward.
The Pittsburgh Penguins Have Waived First-Year Forward David Gustafsson
To make room for the returning Ben Kindel, the Penguins have placed defenseman David Gustafsson on waivers.
“Forward Ben Kindel has been activated from Injured Reserve. Forward David Gustafsson has been designated non-roster and will be placed on waivers,” reported the Penguins on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Gustafsson made his SHL debut with HV71 at 17 years old in 2017-18, finishing with 12 points in 45 games before he was eventually selected by the Winnipeg Jets and signed him to an entry-level contract in 2019, with Gustafsson scoring his first NHL goal later that year.
He spent part of the 2020-21 season on loan with Tingsryds AIF in Sweden before returning to North America. In June 2026, Winnipeg traded Gustafsson to the Penguins, who signed him to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.
The Penguins Have Activated Ben Kindel
Kindel, who missed their contest against the Flyers because of a lower-body injury, has been activated.
Earlier in the week on Thursday, Kindel returned to practice and was a full participant, something that head coach Dan Muse pointed to as a very positive sign.
“It was a big positive that he was out there as a full participant,” Muse told reporters. “He’s been out for a while. We still have to see how things respond. It was a good sign today, and I’m going to have more conversations.
The day prior, Kindel had participated in practice while wearing a white non-contact jersey.
During his rookie campaign, Kindel scored 17 goals with 18 assists in 77 games played.
Penguins Cut Veteran Forward Before Home Opener