Penguins forward Joona Koppanen learns his fate after being placed on waivers yesterday

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the stories of the National Hockey League early in the 2025/26 season, as they've defied the low pre-season expectations to be in the hunt for a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot two months into the year.

However, it's not all been good news for the team, as they've dealt with as many injuries, if not more than any other team in the league this season, while also seeing some disappointing performers.

One of those players was 27-year old Joona Koppanen, who many had hoped would become a solid bottom-six forward in the league, but with just 1 assist through 10 games and a -1 differential in limited time, clearly he wasn't able to find his game.

On Friday, the team officially placed him on waivers, and while he didn't produce this season, there was always a chance that another team out there would look to take a chance on his talents.

Now, he knows his fate for the future, as Koppanen officially passed through waivers, and will now be assigned to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins moving forward according to reports.

In 30 NHL games with the Penguins, Koppanen has just 1 goal and 3 points, but in the AHL a year ago, he had 25 points in 56 games played, so now that he's set to likely find his permanent home with the WBS Penguins, he'll be hoping to reignite some of that production moving forward.