The Pittsburgh Penguins have made another roster adjustment to create space on their team. On Friday, they placed Finnish forward Joona Koppanen on waivers. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound left winger has a minus-1 rating and has scored only one point in 10 NHL games this season.
Koppanen, who is 27, signed a one-year deal with the Penguins this summer and began the season playing for their AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). In six AHL games, he recorded one goal and two points with a plus-3 rating, showing strong defensive skills at even strength and on the penalty kill.
However, with the Penguins’ roster becoming increasingly crowded, Koppanen was a healthy scratch in games against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The team won those last two games with forwards Rutger McGroarty and Boko Imama, who were both called up from WBS before Monday’s matchup.
The move to waive Koppanen might be linked to the possible return of injured forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari. Both players, who have 12 points in 12 games this season, are traveling with the team for their upcoming games, including Sunday’s contest against the Dallas Stars.
Earlier in the week, Penguins General Manager Kyle Dubas mentioned that Brazeau and Acciari would be ready to play in about seven to 10 days, with Sunday’s game just missing that timeline. Nonetheless, the team had to waive Koppanen by Friday to make room on the roster for either forward if they are cleared to play, or there could have been other reasons for the waiver. The Penguins still have 12 forwards available if Brazeau or Acciari aren’t ready for Sunday and Koppanen is not in the lineup.
The Penguins will face Dallas on Sunday before returning home to take on the top-ranked Anaheim Ducks from the Pacific Division on Tuesday.
Fan Take: This roster shakeup highlights the Penguins’ commitment to maintaining a deep and competitive lineup as injuries start to heal. For fans, it signals the team’s resolve to stay strong in the playoff race, making every game crucial for their postseason aspirations.
