Ville Koivunen: The shining star of the Jake Guentzel trade
In a package full of prospects, Ville Koivunen has the best odds to be the key piece acquired by the Penguins
The Jake Guentzel trade may have been heart-shattering for the vast majority of Penguins fans. While his success so far in Carolina is something that can be looked at with a grin, there needs to be something to look at with hope for the future with the franchise-altering move.
Cruz Lucius currently had 34 points in 35 games for the University of Wisconsin, which leads his team. The 2022 4th-round pick is still just 19 years old and has the potential to be a solid third-line winger.
Vasiliy Ponomarev was drafted in the 2nd-round in 2020 and is close to making the NHL roster. This was his second year in the AHL and he is in a prime position to be competing for a roster spot in the bottom six in training camp.
The likely second-round draft pick from Philadelphia has the potential to be a decent prospect, but there’s nothing to get excited about just yet.
The main piece of the deal that intrigued me was Ville Koivunen. Playing in a professional league at just the age of 20, Koivunen was sixth in league scoring this past season with 56 points in 59 games.
Niko Huuhtanen was the next highest-scoring player in the Liiga who is 20 years old or younger, with 46 points. Currently, Koivunen also has 7 points and 4 goals through 5 playoff games.
The young Finnish winger has a great chance to eventually become a productive top-six winger in the future, and it appears he has the potential to fight for a roster spot as soon as next season.
His 56 points are the most from a u21 player in the Liiga since Saku Koivu in the 1994-95 season (74) and holds 10th all-time in that category.
Koivuenen immediately becomes the organization’s best skater prospect behind Brayden Yager, and there’s a lot to be excited about.
From the brief amount of film that I have watched from him, his high hockey sense for his age is abundantly clear. Professional scouts tend to agree with me, as many reports talk about his positioning for outlet passes all over the ice.
While I know it’s a stretch, Koivunen’s hockey sense makes him a great option to slot on Crosby’s wing if the opportunity arises. long with his fantastic shot, Koivunen is a skilled player who would excel next to an elite playmaker.
Ironically enough, this mould of player sounds extremely similar to Jake Guentzel. The only knock to Koivunen’s game is his speed, which was a critique that Jake himself had quite often.
That may be a difficult transition to NHL sized ice on, which can be seen partly by Koivunen’s lone goal in 12 games in the AHL last season. It’s what will hinder his opportunity to make the big league the most, but I think a full season in the AHL would benefit Koivunen greatly.
We’ll have to see what happens next year, but I envision Koivunen making the opening night roster in the 2025-26 season. Hopefully, he gets an opportunity sooner, but I’m not sure that would be the best for his development.