The Penguins have added an extra forward to their roster in advance of tonight’s game against Philadelphia as they announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Joona Koppanen from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Pittsburgh had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made to add him to the active roster.
The 25-year-old spent six years in Boston’s system before becoming a Group Six unrestricted free agent back in July. He quickly found a new home with Pittsburgh inking him to a two-year contract on the opening day of free agency. That contract is a two-way agreement for this season before converting to a one-way pact for 2024-25.
Koppanen has five games at the NHL level under his belt, all coming with the Bruins last season where he had an assist, four penalty minutes, and a faceoff success rate of nearly 57% while playing just under 11 minutes per contest. He put up a career-best 35 points with AHL Providence last season but has struggled offensively this year, collecting just three goals and three assists so far through 18 games. Nevertheless, his ability to play center and take draws has made him a viable recall option although it remains to be seen if he’ll suit up against the Flyers tonight.