The Penguins’ offseason bet on Ville Koivunen looked risky when they handed him an eight-year, $32 million extension, and it still carries plenty of weight. But after a rough beginning to the season, the young forward is starting to give Pittsburgh something to believe in.
Koivunen had logged only 48 NHL games and 14 points when the deal was signed, so there was never much mystery about the gamble. The Penguins were paying for projection, banking that a player who had not yet put it together at the NHL level would eventually grow into a top-nine role or better. If that happens, Pittsburgh would be paying just $4 million per year for the kind of production that can tilt a lineup.
This season has started with more opportunity than splash for Koivunen, but he has been in the mix. Through 12 games, he has appeared in 10, and the Penguins have made it clear they want to see what they have after committing that much term and money. He has not broken out in a huge way yet, but his game is starting to settle.
After his first 10 games this season, Koivunen had two goals and three assists for five points. If he kept that pace, he’d be on track for a 42-point season. That kind of production would not make him a star overnight, but it would go a long way toward validating the Penguins’ long-term bet.
What stands out most is that Koivunen seems more comfortable now than he did in his earlier NHL looks. He excelled in the AHL for a long stretch, but his brief stretches in the big leagues over the past two years didn’t show the same jump. This time, though, there are signs the game is slowing down for him in Pittsburgh.
The last five games have been especially encouraging. Koivunen has one goal and two assists in that stretch, a three-point run that suggests more than a lucky bounce or two.
It could be the start of a real step forward, or it could fade quickly. For the Penguins, though, this is exactly the stretch they were hoping would arrive.
In Other News...
Penguins Forward Group Suddenly Has A Chance To Settle Down
The Penguins forward group may finally be getting a chance to breathe a little. With the lineup still finding its shape, Rickard Rakell is off to a slow offensive start but continues to create looks, and general manager Kyle Dubas has kept the focus on the bigger picture by expressing confidence that the scoring will come. Around the league, there has been no shortage of roster churn and injury-related moves, but in Pittsburgh the more immediate question has been how the lines can stabilize long enough to start building some rhythm.
One place that could help is the evolving mix around Evgeni Malkin, where Hendrix Lapierre has been given an opportunity alongside Ville Koivunen after previously sitting as a healthy scratch. Add in Justin Brazeau getting closer to a return from a preseason lower-body injury, and the Penguins suddenly have a little more flexibility than they did a week ago. For a forward group trying to settle into roles, that kind of turnover can be disruptive, but it can also create the opening for someone to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Need Rickard Rakell Now More Than Ever
Rickard Rakells season has been slow to take off, but the Penguins keep seeing the same thing from him night after night: chances. He has been around the puck, firing more than anyone else on the club, and it finally turned into a late goal that pulled Pittsburgh even in a game it needed to salvage. For a player whose production has lagged behind his opportunity, the process has still looked encouraging.
The timing only adds to the significance, because the Penguins are already leaning harder on their scoring depth. With Bryan Rust sidelined, Rakells role in the offense becomes even more important, and the team needs him to keep converting the looks he has been creating. If Pittsburgh is going to stay afloat through this stretch, it needs more than near-misses from one of its most dangerous forwards. [Read more 🡒]
Penguins Are Finally Showing Signs Fans Have Been Waiting For
A healthy practice often tells you more about a teams direction than any one game, and the Penguins had a little of that kind of encouraging energy as the group got back on the ice. One injured Penguins player was a full participant at practice, a small but meaningful sign for a club that has spent plenty of time juggling its lineup and trying to get everyone pointed the same way again.
There was also some useful perspective from within the room, with Ville Koivunen and Arturs Silovs both talking about their current roles and the areas they are working to improve. For a Penguins team still sorting out its pieces, those kinds of conversations matter because they hint at players settling into bigger responsibilities, even if the bigger picture remains a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]