What Happened
The Pittsburgh Penguins made a series of roster moves this week, activating Justin Brazeau from injured reserve on Oct. 28 and then adding Benjamin Kindel and Samuel Girard to the active roster a day later. Elmer Söderblom went on injured reserve with an upper-body injury in the corresponding move. Pittsburgh also assigned forward Avery Hayes and defenseman Chase Pietila to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Key Details
- Brazeau missed Pittsburgh's first 12 games of 2026-27 with a preseason lower-body injury.
- Kindel was hospitalized for a vasovagal episode on the team plane but missed only two games.
- Girard had been sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
- Söderblom is expected to miss a few days and could return Saturday.
- Brazeau has a two-year, $3MM contract ($1.5MM AAV) signed before 2025-26.
- Hayes and Pietila were sent to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
What It Means
Pittsburgh gets back a chunk of its forward depth at once. Brazeau, who had 17 goals and 34 points in 64 games last season, returns after a long preseason absence, while Kindel's quick recovery from a medical emergency keeps a top-nine role intact. Girard's return strengthens the defense. Söderblom's injury is short-term, and the AHL assignments free roster space.
What's Next
The Penguins' next game is against the Utah Mammoth, with Kindel and Girard in line to play. Söderblom is eligible to return Saturday.