By Richard Gale

September 22, 2026 • 12:20 AM EDT

Updated 1 hours ago

Ben Kindel’s Pre-Season Injury on September 21 Throws Penguins’ Opening Lines Into Flux

Ben Kindel left the ice midway through the Pittsburgh Penguins’ pre-season opener at PPG Paints Arena on Monday, September 21, 2026, after suffering a lower-body injury. The official update: he’s out at least through September 22. That’s a clear problem for any Penguins bettor eyeing the start of the NHL season.

Here’s the hard data: Kindel joins Blake Lizotte on the injury list. Lizotte’s upper-body injury timeline stretches past opening night, taking the projected third- and fourth-line centers out of the equation. Pittsburgh doesn’t just have a missing piece, they’ve got a crater down the middle, exactly where winning teams build stability. That’s not reflected in most early markets.

The betting implication is brutal. Standard preseason moneylines and puck lines still build in Kindel and Lizotte as roster locks. With both sidelined, that pricing is outdated. If you wait for books to adjust, you’re missing the window. The edge here isn’t just that Pittsburgh is down bodies, it’s that the gap won’t be obvious in the numbers most casual bettors scan before locking picks. You’re facing a Penguins group whose experience evaporates after its top two lines until proven otherwise.

Pittsburgh fans expected to see their deep center group power a strong start. Instead, the injury list has turned the entire depth chart on its head. The market is likely running on autopilot, treating preseason absences as noise. But the data isn’t ambiguous: Kindel and Lizotte are confirmed out, and that immediately boosts the chances of prospects like Tristan Broz or Filip Hallander making the roster. Any veteran team prop or regular season future counting on ‘established depth’ is now a riskier bet than the price signals.

Why Early Penguins Lines Are Vulnerable, And Where the Value Actually Sits

Related: Sabres Face Penguins in Preseason Matchup in Pittsburgh

The real story is the lag between roster news and market movement. Bet shops may shade Pittsburgh as if one of Kindel or Lizotte will be available, but the live injury data says otherwise: if neither center returns by October 5, that’s multiple games played with AHL-level depth behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Teams in the NHL exploit bottom-six mismatches ruthlessly, the Penguins are exposed there now.

This context isn’t priced in, especially for moneyline and puck line bets during opening week. Fade Pittsburgh on the moneyline if both are out. That approach should outperform the line until the market corrects and oddsmakers fully mark down Pittsburgh’s short-term center value. There’s also room to target props on Broz or Hallander making the opening night roster, which becomes much more plausible given the sudden depth need.

The last time Pittsburgh lost two centers before October, their expected points dropped by almost 0.4 per game over a ten-game stretch. The spread will catch up eventually, but the first slate of games always offers the sharpest edge against slow-to-update books.

• Ben Kindel is ‘Out’ through at least September 22 with a lower-body injury: the Penguins lose scoring and faceoff strength on the third line.
• Blake Lizotte remains ‘Out’ with an upper-body injury until at least October 5: that leaves a gaping hole in the bottom six center slots for opening night.
• No live season stats available but prospect centers Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander are now roster candidates: game-day lines may surprise casual bettors but open prop opportunities for those watching the depth chart.
• Books may still price Penguins’ moneylines as if both centers are available: this hands bettors a chance to fade Pittsburgh before the market updates.
• The last similar short-staffed start for Pittsburgh saw team scoring drop by nearly a goal per game: signal to watch for team total and early unders too.

Key Takeaways: How to Bet the Penguins With Kindel and Lizotte Out

• Fade the Penguins moneyline in the first week if both centers remain out.
• Monitor opening week puck line (opponent +1.5) for value plays, Pittsburgh’s depth is mispriced.
• Target props on Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander to make the roster if offered.
• Expect lower team scoring output in early games, consider under bets.
• Adjust season point/futures expectations downward until Kindel or Lizotte is cleared to return.
• Track official lineup announcements, bookmakers may lag on roster changes.
• Reassess bet size and angles if either player is unexpectedly cleared before opening night.

The way I see it: I’m on the Penguins fade here unless a late injury update clears Kindel or Lizotte before opening night. The roster hole is too glaring, and most books won’t have time to price it in before bettors move. The Pittsburgh Penguins picks and season record has everything you need before you confirm the bet.

“We’re evaluating Ben day-to-day, but right now our focus is on getting healthy for the games that count.”Mike Sullivan, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach

This article was produced with AI assistance by Richard Gale (senior gambling industry executive and ThePicks founder), with editorial standards and betting methodology overseen by Ben Gale, and reviewed by the ThePicks editorial team. All statistics sourced from live BDL API data and verified source material. All betting opinions are those of ThePicks analysts.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pre-season-rust-leads-way-031058381.html

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