- Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provided updates on a few injured Penguins. Defensemen Pierre-Oliver Joseph (upper body) and Ryan Shea (upper body) both skated before practice today while center Thomas Novak (lower body) has yet to hit the ice after being injured last week. Joseph was injured at the beginning of the month and quickly landed on IR while Shea was injured last week. Both blueliners have week-to-week designations while a timeline for Novak’s return remains uncertain.
Penguins Rumors
Penguins Prospect Ville Koivunen Breaking Out In Second Half
The NHL season has not gone according to plan for the Pittsburgh Penguins. They have the third-oldest lineup in the league, but land in the bottom-10 of the standings with just 13 games left on the schedule. Staff and fans alike have started to turn their attention towards the future, evidenced by the team’s sale of Anthony Beauvillier, Luke Schenn, and Cody Glass for future assets at this year’s Trade Deadline. The moves have trained a bright spotlight on the Penguins’ deep prospect pool – and lucky for hopeful fans, wing prospect Ville Koivunen has shined.
Koivunen has been one of the hockey world’s hottest players in 2025. Playing for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has amassed 31 points in 31 games since the calendar turned over. That hot streak gives Koivunen 53 points in 58 games this season – most among any AHL rookie and fifth in the league as a whole. No other rookie ranks in the top 15 of scoring. Koviunen has blossomed into a star producer, on the back of a confidence that seems to grow every single game.
The Penguins certainly knew to have high hopes for Koivunen. He was the primary future asset in the 2024 Trade Deadline move that sent star scorer Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. Pittsburgh also acquired NHL winger Michael Bunting, fellow prospects Vasiliy Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius, and a second-round draft pick in the trade. But with Bunting traded to the Predators one year later and Lucius missing the season to injury – it has been up to Koivunen and Ponomarev to prove general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t blunder in dealing away his 40-goal scorer.
That’s certainly a lofty bill to place on a 21-year-old forward. But Koivunen has answered the bell and then some. He’s found his AHL spark after spending the last three seasons dominating ice time with the Liiga’s Karpat, part of Finland’s top pro league. Koivunen scored 29 points in 53 games of his rookie Liiga season in 2021-22. That mark set him as the 20th-highest scoring U19 player in Liiga history behind a list full of NHL talent – including Joel Armia, Sami Vatanen, and Artturi Lehkonen directly ahead of him. Koivunen nearly matched that total again in the next year, netting 28 points in 52 games. But his struggle to cross the 30-point threshold was matched by just one goal in 12 AHL games at the end of the season.
Koivunen returned to the Liiga at the start of last season, with many holding their breath around his long-term scoring upside. Even as he started to find his footing at a pro level – netting 14 points in 20 games to start the season – fans still held back. But Koivunen’s wheels only got faster. He went on a spree of multi-point games through February and March of the 2023-24 season, ultimately ending the year with 56 points in 59 games – the most of any U22 Liiga player since 2000.
A breakout in Finland wasn’t going to be convincing on it’s own – but Koivunen is now nearly lapping his totals in the AHL. His ability as a spot shooter and fast-break scorer defined his draft-year excitement. He earned attention as a first-round candidate in the 2021 class, and ultimately fell to the Carolina Hurricanes with the 51st overall selection. Those defining traits have continued to grow in the years since – Koivunen has become a great sniper, with the ability to pick corners while flat-footed or moving at full speed. But, more excitingly, Koivunen has gone to lengths to round out his style. He’s become far more physical and confident when driving into space. And he’s found his poise as a playmaker – taking the time to slow down when entering the zone, and using strong stickhandling and skating to get the puck into a passing lane.
There are certainly long strides between Koivunen and the NHL. But he’s become a lethal asset in the offensive zone. His shot can’t be left alone, but his ability to connect with his teammates is what has sparked a near point-per-game season. That ability held strong in the difficult move from Liiga to AHL, and should it hold through to the NHL – it’d be hard to think Koivunen couldn’t continue to dominate the scoresheet next on a top-six NHL line. After years of finding his footing, growing his role, and adapting his skills to a pro scene – Koivunen has fully broken out. He’s scoring at a point-per-game pace since the start of 2025, with no signs of slowing down as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton approaches a confident playoff bid. Koivunen hasn’t yet received the first in-season NHL call-up of his career – and at this rate, it appears he’ll be in the minors through the end of the season. But with a strong playoff performance, he could enter Pittsburgh’s 2025-26 training camp with his sails at full mast.
Nieto And Aho Recalled Again
- The daily transactions from Pittsburgh continue. Per the AHL transactions log, the Penguins have once again brought up winger Matt Nieto and defenseman Sebastian Aho from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis. While the Pens aren’t obligated to keep shuffling the players back and forth on off days, doing so allows them to pause their respective waiver clocks each time they send them down. Even with it being past the trade deadline, once they’re up for 30 days or play in 10 games, they’d have to get through waivers again to go back to the minors.
Penguins Return Nieto And Aho To AHL
Prior to their afternoon tilt against the Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins returned both forward Matt Nieto and defenseman Sebastian Aho to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, per Tribune-Review reporter Seth Rorabaugh.
Nieto’s two-year, $1.8MM deal he signed with the Penguins ahead of the 2023-24 season is set to expire at the end of the season. His first year in Pittsburgh ended with a knee injury that required two separate procedures. While he was able to return to Pittsburgh’s lineup in a fourth-line role this past November, his play had been ineffective, registering just three points and a minus-eight rating in 31 contests. With the team falling down the standings and looking toward the future, the decision was made to option Nieto to the AHL. After clearing waivers on Feb. 27, Nieto was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and appeared in AHL games for the first time in 10-plus years.
Aho, a veteran of 190 NHL games, has spent the entire season playing for the Penguins’ AHL-affiliate and has suffered through multiple injuries along the way. He signed a two-year, $1.6MM contract with the Pens this past summer, but hasn’t been able to crack the NHL lineup to this point. In 17 games in the AHL this season, Aho has failed to register a goal and has collected seven assists. While he was able to post 23 points for the Islanders during the 2022-23 season, he has failed to find that success again and now finds himself buried behind younger prospects like Jack St. Ivany and Owen Pickering, and recent NHL-level additions Vladislav Kolyachonok, Conor Timmins and P.O. Joseph.
- The Devils’ 2024 deadline trade for goalie Jake Allen has officially been fulfilled and finalized, per James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now. The Devils will officially send the Canadiens a 2025 third-round pick. The terms of the deal came with stipulation that if Allen played in 40 or more games this season, the third-round pick would become the Devils’ 2025 second rounder. To this point, Allen has only participated in 25 contests, and at the completion of today’s game against the Penguins, the clock has run out on the Habs’ hopes of transferring the pick to a second rounder. As Jacob Markstrom’s backup, Allen has been solid for the Devils. Despite his 11-13-1 record on the season, he has a .910 save percentage and his goals against average sits at a nice 2.60. He is set for free agency following the season, and will undoubtedly be on the radar of many teams in need of support between the pipes.
Imama Hopes To Re-Sign With Penguins This Summer
- Penguins winger Bokondji Imama has played in a career-high 11 NHL games this season after being recalled in late January. A pending unrestricted free agent, he recently told reporters including Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he’s hoping to remain with the organization for next season. At this point, a one-way contract likely remains out of reach but a two-way pact with a guarantee higher than the $400K he’s getting this season could be doable, especially if he plays somewhat of a regular role with Pittsburgh down the stretch.
Morning Notes: Pietila, Rondbjerg, Klingberg
Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Chase Pietila has signed an ATO with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (as per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports). Pietila is fresh off signing a three-year ELC with Pittsburgh earlier this week and will finish out the year getting his first taste of professional hockey in the AHL.
The Penguins drafted Pietila in the fourth round (111th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 21-year-old spent this past year in the NCAA with Michigan Tech where he registered seven goals and 15 assists in 36 games. Pietila spent two years in the NCAA after spending the previous three seasons in the USHL.
In other morning notes:
- The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forward Jonas Rondbjerg to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL (as per SinBin.vegas). Rondbjerg was recalled earlier in the week and dressed in the Golden Knights’ loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday night but played just 6:02 and was held scoreless. The demotion is no surprise given that Vegas just welcomed back Brett Howden and Ivan Barbashev to their lineup. The 25-year-old Rondbjerg has no points in 12 NHL games this season and has averaged just 9:21 of ice time per game.
- Edmonton Oilers defenseman John Klingberg didn’t play in last night’s game against the New Jersey Devils as he continues to deal with an undisclosed injury. The 32-year-old hasn’t played since March 4th after signing a one-year deal with the Oilers in mid-January. Klingberg has produced offense when healthy, posting a goal and three assists in 10 games. The Oilers are back in action tonight against the New York Islanders and given the tight timeline it seems unlikely that he will play. However, he did re-join the Oilers yesterday at practice and has been travelling with the team (as per Sportsnet).
Penguins Assign Sebastian Aho And Matt Nieto To AHL
Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned defenseman Sebastian Aho and forward Matt Nieto to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
Nieto has had a tumultuous second season with the Penguins, missing nearly half of the year with a knee injury. He returned to the lineup in mid-November and dressed in 31 NHL games, registering a goal and two assists with a -8 plus/minus rating. Nieto was then placed on waivers a few weeks ago and cleared before he was assigned to the AHL for the first time. The 32-year-old was recalled earlier this week, but didn’t see any game action and has not played an NHL game since February 23rd against the New York Rangers.
Nieto is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed on July 1st, 2023 and might not see any one-way NHL offers this summer given his injury concerns and lack of contributions at the NHL level.
Aho signed a two-year, one-way deal with the Penguins last summer but has not seen any NHL action this season. The 29-year-old spent the previous three seasons with the New York Islanders and was an NHL regular before this year. He was signed as depth but was unable to make the team out of training camp and has instead served as a veteran presence in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Aho has dressed in 17 AHL games this season and has posted seven assists. He may see some time in the NHL down the stretch as the Penguins are dealing with a few injuries to their defensive group.
Will The Penguins Try To Sign Mitch Marner?
In today’s mailbag, Josh Yohe of The Athletic took one major question regarding the possibility of the Pittsburgh Penguins taking a run at Mitch Marner should the winger hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
Yohe gave a two-pronged response to the question, illustrating the pros and cons of attempting to sign Marner. The Penguins are expected to have approximately $25MM in cap space for free agency, Marner has a previous relationship with general manager Kyle Dubas, and Marner worked well on a line with Sidney Crosby during the 4 Nations Faceoff. Still, given the Penguins’ trade activity throughout this season, Yohe doesn’t believe Dubas has indicated he’ll be aggressive in making a major addition this summer.
Pittsburgh having an interest in Marner makes sense on some levels. He’s having a career year with 21 goals and 80 points in 63 games and would give the Penguins an easier transition out of the Crosby era. However, given that he has yet to play meaningful hockey beyond Round Two of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Marner likely won’t be interested in joining a team that hasn’t reached the postseason in a few years.
Penguins Sign Avery Hayes To Entry-Level Deal
The Penguins have gotten another prospect signed to an entry-level deal. They announced they’ve signed undrafted free agent forward Avery Hayes to a two-year contract beginning next season, taking him through the 2026-27 campaign. Financial terms were not disclosed.
While Pittsburgh didn’t have Hayes’ exclusive signing rights, he’s not new to the organization. The 5’10” 22-year-old has spent the last two seasons on AHL contracts with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Last year was a tough adjustment to professional hockey coming out of the major junior ranks, limited to 6-3–9 in 29 games and had a brief demotion to ECHL Wheeling.
This season has been a breakout for Hayes, though. The Michigan native, who was initially eligible for the 2021 draft but was passed over multiple times, is tied for fifth on the Baby Pens in scoring with 17-18–35 in 44 games. He leads WBS forwards with a +17 rating. Among the top 100 U23 point-getters in the AHL, he was the only one not technically affiliated with an NHL team – until today.
His sophomore emergence gets rewarded with a two-year commitment from the organization, which now makes him eligible for an NHL recall starting next year. He becomes the 33rd player out of the maximum of 50 on the Pens’ books for 2025-26. He’ll be a restricted free agent when his ELC expires in 2027.
Hayes won two consecutive Ontario Hockey League championships in 2022 and 2023, albeit on two different teams – first the Hamilton Bulldogs, then the Peterborough Petes. The older brother of Blackhawks prospect Gavin Hayes is the third player to sign an ELC with Pittsburgh in the last four days, joining Chase Pietila and Daniel Laatsch.
Eastern Conference Notes: Sandin-Pellikka, Penguins, Hallander, Merilainen
The Detroit Red Wings are the biggest winners in a busy day for the Eastern Conference, following news that top defense prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka could join the team after his SHL season ends from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. Sandin-Pellikka is one of the top defense prospects across the NHL. He confidently leads U21 scoring in the SHL, Sweden’s top league, with 12 goals and 29 points in 46 games. Those totals also rank Sandin-Pellikka ninth among all SHL defensemen, regardless of age.
Sandin-Pellikka has been on a strict upward climb since Detroit drafted him 17th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He earned his first full pro season with Skelleftea AIK last year, and managed an impressive 12 goals and 25 points in 53 total games as the team blazed their way to their first SHL championship since 2014. It was clear that Sandin-Pellikka was feeling out his lineup footing during the title run, improving from a menial role at the start of the year to a daily role by the end of the season. That growth has only continued this year, with Sandin-Pellikka now serving in a consistent top-pair role and earning upwards of 24 minutes a night.
Sandin-Pellikka was also a superstar at this year’s World Juniors Championships. He recorded four goals and 10 points in seven games while serving as Team Sweden’s captain. Those totals tied him for first on Team Sweden, and second in the tournament outright, in points. Sandin-Pellikka’s Skelleftea seems headed for another playoff run this season. The Red Wings will be watching it closely, with word that their star prospect could be headed over as soon as his SHL season ends.
Other notes floating around the Eastern Conference:
- Pittsburgh Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas is playing his usual games of salary cap gymnastics. The team shuffled forward Matthew Nieto and defenseman Sebastian Aho were swapped between the NHL and AHL rosters overnight, per Seth Rorabaugh of Pittsburgh’s Tribune-Review Sports. The Penguins utilized an emergency recall on both players on Tuesday morning, but didn’t play either in their overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights. That fact forced Pittsburgh to return the pair to the minor leagues and utilize a standard recall to bring them back up. The Penguins have done just that, and will now have just two standard recalls remaining for the rest of the season. Nieto filled a depth role in the NHL at the start of the season, but was assigned to the minors after netting just three points in 31 games. Aho has been oft-injured this year, and returned from his latest absence earlier this month. He so far has seven assists in 17 AHL games this season.
- In other Penguins news, the team have also expressed interest in re-signing top SHL scorer Filip Haalander per Rorabaugh. Haalander ranks second in the SHL with 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games this season. He returned to the SHL last season, after two quiet years in the Penguins organization. Haalander totaled 61 points in 104 AHL games, and no points in three NHL games, before stepping away from North American pros. He scored 36 points in 51 games in his return to Sweden last season, and is now close to lapping those totals this year. Should he feel that hot scoring has given him the momentum he needed, it seems Haalander will have an open door to the club that originally drafted him in the second-round of the 2018 draft.
- Continuing to march around the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators have returned third-string goaltender Leevi Merilainen to the minor leagues after recalling him on Tuesday. He served as the team’s backup goaltender in Tuesday night’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers, while star Linus Ullmark received a rest night. With Ullmark back up to speed, Merilainen will return to the minor leagues – where he’s posted a dazzling 12-7-3 record and .910 save percentage in 25 appearances. He’s been just as sharp in the NHL, with an 8-3-1 record and .925 save percentage in 12 games this season – while filling in for an injured Ullmark. Senators backup Anton Forsberg saved 20 out of 22 shots on Tuesday – enough to secure the win and maintain his spot above Merilainen on the depth chart, though that distance could soon be closing.