Sad News:Koivunen remains unfazed despite the high stakes of being acquired by the Penguins in the Guentzel trade.Koivunen might face…
Ville Koivunen might face increased expectations with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The 21-year-old forward was part of a major trade on March 7 that saw Jake Guentzel and Ty Smith head to the Carolina Hurricanes. In return, Koivunen joined the Penguins alongside fellow forward prospects Vasily Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius, forward Michael Bunting, and two 2024 NHL Draft picks.
Guentzel, who won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh as a rookie in 2017, amassed 466 points (219 goals, 247 assists) in 503 regular-season games before the trade, predominantly playing left wing on the first line with Sidney Crosby.
Given the prominence of the trade, Koivunen could understandably feel pressure. However, he doesn’t seem to be feeling it yet.
“No, I don’t feel the pressure yet — at least not this summer,” Koivunen said on July 6. “Maybe when the season starts, it might be different. But not now.”
Koivunen, from Oulu, Finland, was asleep when the trade was announced, learning about it through a group chat notification.
“I was pretty shocked. ‘What’s happening now?’” Koivunen recalled. “After an hour or two, I was pretty excited about the move and the opportunity to be part of this organization.”
Last season, Koivunen (6-foot, 172 pounds) recorded 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 59 regular-season games with Karpat of Liiga, Finland’s top hockey league, and added 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 12 postseason games. This was a significant improvement from his 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 52 regular-season games in 2022-23.
Koivunen also spent two games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League during the last postseason, scoring one goal and adding one assist.
He values his experience playing in both the AHL and Finland, noting, “It’s always a little bit harder, of course. Guys are pretty strong and wise. They don’t make many mistakes. It’s fun.”
