The Pittsburgh Penguins signed restricted free agent forward Ville Koivunen to an eight-year contract on Thursday. The deal carries an average annual value of $4 million and runs through the 2033-34 season. The total value is $32 million.
Koivunen, 23, was the Penguins last remaining restricted free agent. The team announced the agreement earlier in the day.
In the 2025-26 season, Koivunen split time between the NHL and the American Hockey League. He appeared in 39 games with the Penguins and recorded two goals and five assists for seven points. With the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL, he played 34 games and produced 13 goals and 28 assists. His 28 assists led the team. In the Calder Cup playoffs, he added four goals and five assists in 15 games as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton reached the conference finals.
Ville Koivunen was originally selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, 51st overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Penguins acquired him on March 7, 2024, as part of the trade that sent Jake Guentzel and defenseman Ty Smith to Carolina. In return, Pittsburgh received Koivunen along with Michael Bunting, Vasily Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius and two conditional draft picks.
Since making his NHL debut, Koivunen has played 47 career games and collected 14 points (two goals and 12 assists).
Contract details show a structure that includes lower base salaries with signing bonuses in the early years and higher figures later. Year 1 features an $850,000 salary and $2 million signing bonus. Year 2 has a $900,000 salary and $2 million signing bonus. The remaining years range from $4.25 million to $4.5 million. The deal covers four unrestricted free agent seasons and does not include trade protection clauses. Ville Koivunen is represented by Ian Pulver and Mika Backman of Will Sports Group.
