Penguins Activate Ben Kindel, Send David Gustafsson to Waivers in Roster Shuffle

The Pittsburgh Penguins are shuffling the deck, but for once, it is actually good news for their center depth. According to Daily Faceoff, the team is officially activating Ben Kindel and placing David Gustafsson on waivers to make room.

Gustafsson hitting the waiver wire is the classic NHL numbers game. You do not just keep extra centers around like spare HDMI cables when your preferred guys are finally cleared to play.

"Daily Faceoff reported the activation of Ben Kindel and the waiver placement of David Gustafsson."

Pittsburgh is making this move from a position of absolute strength. They are coming off a hilarious 7-0 dismantling of the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this week. When you win by a touchdown in hockey, you have the luxury of tweaking the bottom six without anyone hitting the panic button.

The corresponding report also linked winger Andrei Kuzmenko and the Montreal Canadiens to the broader news cycle. Kuzmenko is currently healthy and active for Pittsburgh, adding even more offensive depth to a lineup that just proved it can score at will.

This roster calibration matters immediately for anyone tracking the matchup dynamics. The Penguins host the Canadiens tonight, and Montreal is walking into a buzzsaw. The Habs just squeaked by the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2, but facing a fully loaded Pittsburgh squad is a completely different math problem.

Bettors eyeing the puck line or player props should note that Kindel’s return gives the Penguins a much more stable rotation down the middle. A deeper forward group means fresher legs against a Montreal team trying to build early-season momentum.

We will find out in 24 hours if another front office decides to claim Gustafsson off the wire. Until then, Pittsburgh is getting healthier and scarier right as the schedule ramps up, with the Winnipeg Jets waiting on deck.