It didn’t take long to realize how real the Pittsburgh Penguins’ youth movement became Saturday.

In the main dressing room at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, the nameplates illustrated that notion vividly.

At a stall previously occupied by 30-year-old forward Danton Heinen sat Ben Kindel, an 18-year-old forward the Penguins selected No. 11 overall during June’s NHL Draft.

Across the room, a piece of real estate held down for two years by 30-year-old defenseman Ryan Graves was taken over by 19-year-old blueliner Harrison Brunicke, a second-round draft pick (No. 44 overall) in 2024.

Even if the season-opening roster doesn’t need to be formally submitted to the NHL until Monday at 5 p.m., the Penguins’ dressing room was much younger for one day at least.

“It’s fun to see those young guys earn a spot and show what they can do at this level,” said 38-year-old defenseman Kris Letang. “It’s exciting stuff. It’s always good to have new blood.”

Kindel and Brunicke could still — and probably will — return to their junior teams this season. But NHL rules permit junior-eligible players to skate in nine regular-season games before the first year of an entry-level contract is fully tolled.

And with some incumbent forwards such as veteran Bryan Rust and Kevin Hayes as well as prospect Rutger McGroarty slated to be sidelined by injury to open the season, their recoveries might force Penguins management to send Kindel and Brunicke back to the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen and Kamloops Blazers, respectively, later this month.

But for the time being, Kindel and Brunicke are here for a reason.

“They continued to check boxes that we were looking for,” coach Dan Muse said. “They continued, based on their play and their actions in both practices in games, to tell us, ‘You’re going to need to put us in another game, and you’re going to need to see us again and you’re going to need to continue to consider us.’ They’ve done that on a consistent basis.”

Who isn’t here at the moment is goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov. He was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

The promising 21-year-old Murashov had a strong showing in the preseason, appearing in three games and posting a 2-0-1 record, a 1.72 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

President of hockey operations Kyle Dubas indicated the two best goaltenders would open the season on the NHL roster but added a caveat of considering what’s best for a youngster’s development.

That played a role in Murashov’s assignment while Tristan Jarry and Arturs Silovs remained in the NHL club’s crease.

AP This preseason, Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov appeared in three games and posted a 2-0-1 record.  

“With somebody his age, you have to factor (development) in,” Muse said. “Especially when it comes to the goaltending position. You do. There’s a history of that when you look at the league as a whole, and guys that have risen to the highest level of goaltending in the NHL, you look at time they spent there in the (AHL). He had a really good camp. He has an extremely, extremely bright future.

“We’re looking at what’s obviously best right now. Also looking at things of what’s going to be best long term.”

Also sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton were three other prospects in forwards Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes and defensemen Owen Pickering, all of whom appear to be candidates for recalls in the upcoming regular season.

Kindel appears to be the leading candidate to open the regular season as the third-line center. During Saturday’s practice, he skated in that station with Tommy Novak at left wing and Philip Tomasino on the right wing.

“He’s extremely impressive just with his decision making and IQ,” Novak said. “Especially for being such a young kid. He makes plays on his backhand extremely well. Sees the ice extremely well. Even defensive positioning for an 18-year-old, that’s honestly something that doesn’t come for most younger kids.

“It seems he’s very aware of the play defensively. I’ve just been impressed by his IQ.”

Brunicke’s place in the lineup seems a bit more of a guess. On Saturday, he worked on a “fourth” pairing with Caleb Jones but manned the point on the second power-play unit.

Regardless, he offered something for management to consider with two points (one goal, one assist) in four preseason games.

“He’s got tons of confidence with the puck,” Letang said. “He’s had a pretty good set of skills, whether it’s skating, puck handling. And obviously, his confidence makes him really dangerous. He holds on to pucks and uses his patience. It’s going to be exciting to see what he can do on this level.”

The last time the Penguins opened a regular season with two junior-eligible players on the NHL roster came in 2006-07 when Letang and forward Jordan Staal were teenagers.

Staal stuck for the entire season, whereas Letang returned to Val-d’Or Foreurs of the former Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after seven NHL contests.

A 19-year-old named Sidney Crosby was on that Penguins team full of other teenagers.

“What I remember was (Staal) didn’t feel like a junior player,” the now 38-year-old Crosby said Saturday. “He was an 18-year-old, but he was bigger than most of the guys. (Letang) in that situation, he ended up playing (seven) games then he ended up going back.

“It’s an exciting time for sure when young guys come in and do well and get rewarded. That competition is there, but also, you’re happy for them. It’s not an easy feat, and they earned that.”

Note: Veteran forward Robby Fabbri was released from his professional tryout contract.

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