That was pretty much my reaction when PP colleagues Other Rick and Caleb DiNatale informed me almost simultaneously the Penguins (or more specifically, Kyle Dubas) had signed RFA forward Ville Koivunen to a whopping, and I mean WHOPPING, 8-year-deal with an AAV of $4 million.
Stunned doesn’t begin to describe my take on the transaction. Honestly, I thought Dubas might let the 23-year-old winger walk, given Ville’s uninspired output during his rookie season. As a refresher, an anemic two goals and seven points in 39 games.
Backing up the truck for a moment, I have two decidedly different takes on Koivunen. I was thoroughly impressed with the wispy Finn during his eight-game cameo at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. I thought he displayed confidence, boldness and exceptional puck skills, to say nothing of vision and on-ice generalship. Attributes that enabled him to pile up an impressive seven assists during those eight games.
I was expecting big things from Ville heading into the ’25-26 season. If you’d told me he would come close to duplicating the 21 goals and 56 points he rang up for the Baby Pens in ’24-25, I wouldn’t have flinched. Especially when he opened the season on Sidney Crosby’s wing.
Then the kid simply vanished. I mean, just went pfft. Earning a quick hook and demotion to Wilkes. Nothing he did in subsequent stints with the Pens did anything to alter my opinion. Despite rather impressive underlying numbers (the kind Dubas & Co. crave) that belied his paltry production, by the eye test he was nearly invisible. An empty jersey, if you will.
I saw very little of the positive qualities that impressed me so the season before. To the contrary, his lack of size and physicality were most evident. Worse, he seemed perpetually a step behind the play, both in terms of skating and shooting. Echoing observations made by The Ol’-Two-Niner, Phil Bourque, one night when yet another prime scoring chance went by the wayside.
While Koivunen has proven to be a quality AHLer (97 points in 97 career games with the Baby Pens), the jury is still very much out on whether or not he has the chops to be a productive big-leaguer. Which is why this deal comes as such a shock.
Obviously, Dubas and his staff have a finger on Ville’s pulse, not to mention gobs more experience and insight into player development than I ever hope to possess. They must see something in the kid.
However, to sign him to an eight-year deal at this nascent stage of his career before he’s really proven anything at the NHL level?
It just doesn’t any sense to me. Especially since there doesn’t even appear to be a spot for him on our current roster.
Rick,
I really would like Koivunen to make it as an NHLer; Dubas only has Koivunen and Brunicke left from his Guentzel debacle. Despite all of the hype around Brunicke, the Wotherspoon – Korczak trade now casts doubt on Brunicke and Brazeau, Chinakhov, Dewar, Hallander, Kindel, Kuzmenko, Lapierre, Lizotte, Novak, Rakell, Robertson, Rust, and Soderblom, not to mention Broz, A. Hayes, Zonnon, Ilyin, and McGroarty all fighting for 10 forward positions makes an 8 year contract at any price look stupid. With these many players all fighting for ice time, no one will get enough reps to truly show what they have or develop what they don’t have. And those 19 players are only those that get air time with the talking heads – there will also be Fernstrom, Calvert, Howe, Gustaffson, and Okuliar trying to get noticed and any players not under contract.
This is just one more example of how Dubas demonstrates that he has no plan and is just poking and hoping.
Hey all,
A quick follow-up. Apparently, there’s a window to execute a buyout in a couple of years at a modest, if lengthy, cap hit of $750K if Koivunen doesn’t pan out. A drop in the bucket with the salary cap soaring. Which minimizes the risk to an extent.
I personally think Koivunen has the makings of a classic 4-Aer…too good for the AHL, not good enough for the NHL. I guess time will tell.
Interesting factoid…the great Leon Draisaitl had two goals in 37 games as an NHL rookie, same as Koivunen. Of course, the “Deutschland Dangler” was only 19, where Koivunen was 22. Nor am I suggesting that Ville has remotely the same potential.
Rick