The Pittsburgh Penguins will play their penultimate preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo on Wednesday. 

It's the first of two preseason games against the Sabres this week. The two teams will reconvene in Pittsburgh on Friday. 

The Penguins are once again fielding a young lineup in this preseason game, as they are giving these players a chance to try and secure spots on the opening-night roster. Top prospect Benjamin Kindel is set to play in his fifth preseason game and continues to look more comfortable in each game he suits up in. 

Kindel will be on a line with Ville Koivunen and Avery Hayes again after that trio dominated the Detroit Red Wings on Monday. Koivunen and Hayes are two other young players trying to win full-time spots and have also had great training camps and preseasons. 

Filip Hallander, Tristan Broz, Danton Heinen, and Philip Tomasino are a few other forwards who will be in this lineup. Defensively, fans will see Owen Pickering paired with Harrison Brunicke again, which has been a staple throughout camp and the preseason. 

According to head coach Dan Muse, goaltender Arturs Silovs will play the full game, following fellow goaltender Tristan Jarry's full game appearance on Monday. Silovs is competing for the backup goaltender job for this season. 

The Sabres will ice some of their veteran players in this game, including Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Alex Tuch, Jason Zucker, and Michael Kesselring. Kesselring was acquired in the JJ Peterka deal earlier this year and will play big minutes for them on the blue line. 

Wednesday's game will start at 7 p.m. ET and fans can watch the game on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ or listen to it on 105.9 'The X.'

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With the 2025-26 NHL season shortly underway, some minor leagues have already started for some Colorado Avalanche prospects. Their prospect pool might not be as "promising" with the recent regular season success of the Avalanche and drafting at the end of rounds, and them trading away their remaining prospects and draft picks to try and win another Stanley Cup, they still have some key names you should keep an eye on this season.

Max Curran (C/LW), Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Drafted 161st overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Curran’s draft year was his rookie season with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL, where he finished with five goals and 27 assists for 32 points in 40 games, and did not make the playoffs. Last year, he experienced a significant surge in production, finishing with 22 goals and 52 assists for 74 points in 65 games, leading the team in assists and points and ranking third in goals. He helped the Americans secure a playoff spot but lost in the first round to the Victoria Royals in five games, during which he scored one goal and two assists for three points in the series.

This summer, he was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings and is expected to join NHL prospects, including Blake Fiddler (Kraken), Adam Jecho (Blues), and Miroslav Holinka (Leafs). At 6-foot-3, 187 pounds, Curran's playmaking ability is what really stands out in his game.  He is capable of playing both center and wing, but has spent most of his career at the center position.  His intelligence on the ice is arguably his greatest asset. He possesses an elite hockey IQ, distributes the puck exceptionally well, and has an underrated shot when given enough time to take it. In his season debut, he already recorded one assist.

Linus Funck (D), London Knights (OHL)

Drafted in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Linus Funck was coming off his second season with Lulea HF J20 in the J20 Nationell Swedish league. He finished with five goals and 23 assists for 28 points, leading all defense on his team in assists and points and sixth on his team in points.

“Funck uses his reach to kill rushes on top of the blue line and creates breakups along the wall with his physical presence. He is also highly effective on retrievals, mostly through smart first-touch passes." - EliteProspects 

The London Knights in the OHL signed Funck to an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. He now gets the chance to play with some notable prospects like Sam O’Reilly (Lightning), Sam Dickinson (Sharks), Henry Brzustewicz (Kings), and potentially Easton Cowen (Leafs). He has already played in two games, registering one goal and one assist.

Christian Humphreys (RW/C), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

After being drafted in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Humphreys joined the University of Michigan after playing with the USNTDP Juniors, but struggled, only producing one assist in ten games. He would turn his year around by signing with the OHL Kitchener Rangers on an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Joining the team late into the season, Humphreys still managed to finish with 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 28 games. 

"Humphreys is always positioned in the right spot. He racks up the touches by staying inside space in the offensive zone and perfectly timed reloading routes in transition. He meticulously breaks down opposing defences by slowing down, deceiving, and waiting for his target to pop free before connecting with a precise long-range pass. A disruptive defensive game and steals on the forecheck round out his game."- EliteProspects

Heading into his second season now with the team and returning prospects like Jack Pridham (Blackhawks), Cameron Reid (Predators), and Luca Romano (Islanders), Humphreys looks to have a productive full season. He has already started hot, producing three assists in his first two games.

Mikhail Gulyayev (D),  Avangard Omsk (KHL)

The second of two first-round picks the Avalanche had in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Gulyayev has been improving his game in the KHL over the past three seasons. Last season, he finished with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 67 games, setting new career highs in goals and points. 

"Man, can Mikhail Gulyayev fly out there. You give him an inch, and he’s sprinted a mile past you with about as effortless and clean a stride as you’ve ever seen. It’s the defining characteristic of his game; the foundation on which every other part rests. Every bit as comfortable a defensive skater, Gulyayev gaps up early, often attacks puck carriers on an arc, and always takes away the middle of the ice with his stick." - EliteProspects

The most significant factor for Gulyayev’s game is to see a notable increase in his point production. For an offensive defenseman, the intangibles are there: the skating, the puck movement, and an underrated shot. However, production would preferably be higher if you ask many. In nine games to start this season, he has one assist so far.

His contract is up this year, and it will be interesting to see how they handle signing him. He’s already 20 and turns 21 on April 26, so he is eligible to play in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles if they bring him over either at the end of his current season or at the start of next year. Alternatively, they could sign him and loan him back to the KHL for a year or two. 

Sean Behrens (D), Colorado Eagles (AHL)

What was supposed to be a big season for Behrens last year, after he finished his final season at the University of Denver, was cut short when he suffered a brutal knee injury during Colorado’s Eagle camp, causing him to miss the entire season. The second round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft continued to show a great show of skill and development during his time at Denver University, and now back and healthy for this year's development camp and training camp, he looks to put his name back into the eyes of many and show what he can do.

"He surfs backwards with the perfect posture, a nice blend of risk-mitigating footwork and graceful crossunders on the backwards stride, and a good sense of when to close. He scans regularly off of the puck. He cuts opponents off at the hands, always from a low centre of gravity. He ties up loose sticks. He mitigates risk with his positioning. His motor never stops running." - EliteProspects

Joining the Eagles this year should be an excellent position for Behrens, as there could be a lot of opportunity to facilitate the offense from the blueline. Other defensemen, such as Alex Gagne, Saige Weinstein, or Wyatt Aamodt, or really any other defense on the roster, don’t possess the same level of skills and strategies that Behrens does. Therefore, expect a lot of offense to come from both on the 5-on-5 and the power play. 

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Montreal Canadiens star Nick Suzuki had a fantastic year for the Original Six club in 2024-25. In 82 games during the campaign, the 2017 first-round pick scored 30 goals and set new career highs with 59 assists, 89 points, and a plus-19 rating. With numbers like these, he was certainly a big reason why the Canadiens snapped their playoff drought. 

Now, Suzuki has been rewarded for his strong 2024-25 campaign, as he has made Sportsnet's top 50 players list for the 2025-26 season. 

Suzuki secured the No. 29 spot on Sportsnet's list. With this, he was ranked ahead of other notable NHL stars like Brandon Hagel (Tampa Bay Lightning), Andrei Vasilevskiy (Lightning), Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes), and Josh Morrisey (Winnipeg Jets).

Given the year Suzuki just had, it is entirely understandable that he has been ranked among the NHL's best players by Sportsnet. He only seems to be getting better with each season that passes by, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of year he has in 2025-26 from here. 

One of the bright spots in the Chicago Blackhawks’ exhibition loss to the Detroit Red Wings was the play of forward Colton Dach. He scored a goal and continued to bring a physical presence to the team, something he’s been doing all preseason. 

Dach scored a goal by driving hard to the net and depositing it. The Blackhawks don’t have many power forwards who can come up with this kind of tally, so they are likely to keep a player who has that in his arsenal. 

There is nothing pretty about the way Dach plays, which makes him perfect for the overall makeup of the lineup. At this point, it is fair to assume that he is going to make the team because he keeps impacting games in different ways.  

“The last two games, I thought I did pretty good showcasing my physical side," Dach said after the loss. "I wanted to come over here tonight and showcase some other aspects of my game.”

Dach set out to be a difference maker in other ways beyond his physicality, and he did. Not only did he score the nice goal, but he also generated a handful of chances for himself and his teammates. A lot of these chances came late when the Blackhawks were trying to get back in it, which shows his ability to stay engaged until the very end. 

Currently, it appears safe to say that Dach is likely to make the team. There are a handful of forwards fighting for the final few spots, but few have made the impact during games that Dach has, including some of the veteran roster locks. With that in mind, he knows he must keep working and proving himself to make sure he's with the NHL team on opening night. 

"I think every day it's the same, just come in, work hard, try and make it - try and prove to them that I belong."

Dach, despite knowing his current status in the organization, has confidence in himself. He credits being around everyone more over the last year as a reason that he feels good. Whether it was in the NHL or AHL, he developed well during 2024-25, which has set him up for success this year. 

"I think playing last year, kind of getting familiar with the guys, getting to know the staff, the trainers, everything. You just feel more comfortable in the locker room."

Coming out of major junior hockey and turning pro is difficult for a lot of young players who have NHL potential.

Dach was no different, but there were things that he did to improve his game and his mentality, which allowed him to get to this point. He talked about working on his consistency over the last two years, which is something that needs to exist if you are going to live in the NHL. 

"I think the consistency factor," Dach said postgame when asked about what he's worked on to reach this level. "I think that was my biggest thing going into the AHL two years ago, and then last year, the same thing, just trying to play consistent, trying to show them that I can be an NHLer every day."

Dach is going to be relied on to play a certain role for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2025-26. A lot is made about the skilled guys at the top of the lineup, like Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, and Teuvo Teravainen. There isn't much "nasty" or "mean" in any of their games, though.

Tyler Bertuzzi can bring some of that, but Dach's future with the team has a lot more runway. Dach can be a successful player of this type for the Blackhawks over the course of many years.

If he keeps working on his offensive productivity, his physical game, and being a leader in the locker room, he will hold tremendous value for a long time.

When the lineup card comes out next week, expect Dach to be on it with the intentions of being an impact player. 

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