Ilya Solovyov appears to be settling in comfortably with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The ex-Colorado Avalanche defenseman notched his first point with the Penguins on Thursday night during their 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at PPG Paints Arena. After a relatively quiet start, Pittsburgh gained momentum late in the first period and went on to score six goals. Solovyov contributed by netting the fifth goal of the game, capitalizing on an opportunity when he received a pass from Anthony Mantha and quickly set up Ryan Shay for a powerful shot from the right circle that beat Blackhawks’ goalie Arvid Söderblom.
About two weeks earlier, the Avalanche traded Solovyov to the Penguins in exchange for 26-year-old right winger Valtteri Pustinen and a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft. In October, Solovyov was put on waivers and has played 16 games for Colorado this season, recording one goal and two assists. Prior to the trade, he was among six healthy defensemen for the Avalanche, with his most recent appearance being against the Washington Capitals on January 19, a game Colorado won 5-2. Interestingly, since Solovyov’s departure, the Avalanche have only secured one win, going 1-3-1 over their last five games as they approach the Olympic break.
Pustinen, also 26, last played in the NHL during the 2024-25 season, participating in 13 games with three points. The previous season, he played in 52 games, scoring five goals and racking up 20 points. This year, he’s been featuring in 39 AHL contests with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, tallying seven goals and 26 points. Since joining the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, he has so far scored one point in three games. If Pustinen receives a call-up to the NHL, he has the potential to significantly boost Colorado’s struggling power play, which ranks fourth worst in the league at just 15.7%. The team has also been vulnerable to short-handed goals, having allowed nine this season — a problem Pustinen’s effective skating and back-checking could help mitigate.
From Solovyov’s perspective, moving to Pittsburgh means more ice time and responsibility. While he’s a decent player, he didn’t stand out on the Avalanche’s deep roster. Now that he’s with a rebuilding team like the Penguins, he has an opportunity to develop further. Against Chicago on Friday, he logged nearly 17 minutes—close to his season-high—compared to his average of about 11.5 minutes with Colorado.
Overall, this trade seems mutually beneficial: Colorado may get an upgrade to its power play, and Solovyov will have a better chance to develop on ice with the Penguins, especially with Devon Toews expected to return from injury.
Fan Take: This move highlights how teams are looking to maximize opportunities by trading for players who can develop and contribute more in different environments. It’s exciting for hockey fans because such trades can reshape team dynamics and spark new playoff races down the stretch.
