The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed forward Joona Koppanen to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a salary cap hit of $775,000.
Koppanen was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He initially joined the Penguins by signing a two-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $775,000 during the 2023 offseason.
A left-handed shot, the 27-year-old Koppanen appeared in 11 NHL games this past regular season and scored one goal, the first of his career at the NHL level.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Joona Koppanen with 15:20 remaining in the 1st period.
Assisted by Vladislav Kolyachonok and Kris Letang.
Pittsburgh: 1
New York: 0#NYIvsPIT#LetsGoPens#Islespic.twitter.com/DQVNhalayd— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 18, 2025
Primarily stationed with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton throughout the 2024-25 campaign, Koppanen (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) skated in 56 games for that club and posted 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) while largely operating as a bottom-six center.
With Koppanen re-signed, 17 players who finished the 2024-25 season under contract with the Penguins are scheduled to become free agents with regard to the NHL status on July 1
Unrestricted
Forwards - Jimmy Huntington, Marc Johnstone, Mathias Laferriere, Matt Nieto
Defensemen - Nathan Clurman, Matt Grzelcyk, Mac Hollowell, Filip Kral, Colton Poolman
Restricted
Forwards - Raivis Ansons, Emil Bemstrom, Connor Dewar, Vasily Ponomarev, Philip Tomasino
Defensemen - P.O Joseph, Conor Timmins
Goaltender - Taylor Gauthier
(Notes: Ansons has signed an AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 2025-26 season. Hollowell, Kral and Ponomarev have signed contracts with European teams.)