Penguins Announce New Contract Extension for 6'5" Forward

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Joona Koppanen to a one-year contract with an average annual value of $775,000, the team revealed Tuesday.

Koppanen, 27, spent the past two seasons with the Penguins. He played in 15 NHL games for the Penguins, recording one single point, his initial career NHL goal, on March 18 last season.

A Finland native, Koppanen adds depth and size to the roster. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he has been utilized at both center and wing.

Though his main usage has been as an NHL depth player, he has become a reliable presence and respected leader with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL.

The signing is representative of Pittsburgh's continued focus on organizational depth. Koppanen is the second depth forward the team has signed in the past week, after Boko Imama, who signed a one-year deal as well.

As the Penguins are looking to add more to their depth chart heading into next season, the two players are both expected to help with quality support and leadership within the system, especially at the AHL level.

The Penguins and their GM, Kyle Dubas, are now entering a very busy offseason period, where the team will look to bolster their lineup and contend for a playoff spot a lot sooner rather than later. The team will also attempt to get younger this summer.