With little to no expectation of qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins again have the opportunity to try a few pieces in preparation for next year’s roster. Depth forward Joona Koppanen will get another chance for an informal tryout on the NHL roster as he’s been recalled by the Penguins.
Koppanen was reassigned to the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins only a few days ago in a corresponding move to bring Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty to the NHL roster. The Tampere, Finland native no longer carries any fervor as a prospect in Pittsburgh’s developmental pipeline, but he could represent an interesting option for the team’s bottom six next season.
Unfortunately, Koppanen has never received an extended look at the NHL level. Dating back to his time in the Boston Bruins organization, Koppanen has only played in 14 games in the sport’s highest league, tallying one goal and one assist while averaging 11:13 of ice time.
Still, he’s been nothing if not consistent at the AHL level. His two best years in the AHL came during his last two with Boston, scoring 23 goals and 65 points in 126 contests with a +28 rating. Koppanen proved he could be counted upon for modest secondary scoring and showed a keen ability to care for the puck in the defensive zone.
Due to a handful of call-ups during his time with Pittsburgh, he hasn’t reached the point totals he had with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Still, he’s managed 13 goals and 43 points in 113 games as an AHL Penguin, with a +2 rating.
With less than 10 games remaining on their schedule for the 2024-25 season, it can’t hurt the Penguins to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Koppanen is eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer, and Pittsburgh could use the last portion of the regular season to determine if he’s worth retaining for next year.