The Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the National Hockey League’s biggest surprises in 2025/26, as the team bounced back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite many pre-season projections having them as one of the five worst teams in the league.
While the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were once again fantastic, the youth in Pittsburgh played a major role, with 2025 first-round pick Ben Kindel making an immediate impact at the NHL level. He’s not the only one that thrived however, and with the Penguins trying to lock down their future beyond their veteran core that’s led them for the better part of two decades, they’ve now signed one of their key young players to a lengthy contract extension.
Penguins Sign Koivunen to a Massive Long-Term Deal
GettyVille Koivunen of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
That would be Ville Koivunen, a player acquired in the deal to send Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes, and while he wasn’t too highly rated, he’s immediately made an impact at the professional level.
During the 2024/25 season, Koivunen appeared in eight games late in the season for Pittsburgh, and in that time he posted seven assists, and in 2025/26, he was expected to build on that at the NHL level. While the 23-year-old winger posted 41 points in 34 games in the AHL, he failed to replicate that success in the NHL, picking up just 2 goals and 7 assists in 39 games, but the Penguins have still rewarded him.
Despite the down year, the team took to social media on Thursday to announce an eight-year deal for the talented 23-year-old, showing that they believe he can be a long-term middle-six piece for the organization.
The contract comes with an average annual value of $4 million, and while that may seem steep for a player with just 47 NHL games under his belt, if he can develop the way the organization believe he can, that could end up being a very good contract for both parties.
Can Ville Koivunen be a key Piece of Pittsburgh’s Future?
At 6-foot-0, 190 pounds, Koivunen has not only the skill but the size to compete at the NHL level as well, but heading into the 2026/27 season with the additions of Nick Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko, it’s unclear just where Koivunen will fit in the lineup.
It doesn’t take long for things to change though, and while Koivunen will likely start his season with the AHL’s Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins once more, but after this commitment, it’s a matter of when, not if Koivunen forces his way into the lineup on a permanent basis. Only time will tell if he’s truly going to be a key piece of the Penguins future, but given what promise he’s shown in limited opportunities and the veterans this team will need to replace in the next few years, it’s safe to say that right now, Pittsburgh believe he can play a role for them in the years to come.
Penguins Make Major Announcement on Rising Star Ville Koivunen