PITTSBURGH – Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins weren’t happy to see one of their stars and fan favorites leave just ahead of the trade deadline. The Penguins traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Michael Bunting and a trio of prospects.
While all three weren’t among the Hurricanes’ best players in their pipeline, they fly right into the top 10 of the Penguins' system. The Penguins have received praise for their work in adding key pieces to their pipeline.
TSN believes Ville Koivunen was the top prospect traded at the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Koivunen landed 34th on their list of the top NHL-affiliated prospects and is having a splendid season in his native Finland.
In 59 games with Karpat in Finland’s top league, Koivunen has 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 total points. At 20 years old, he will likely make the trip across the pond and kick off a permanent stay on North American ice with the Penguins organization.
The potential for Koivunen is high, and Penguins’ president and general manager, Kyle Dubas, stated that he was being overlooked by the Hurricanes’ organization. With the Penguins, Koivunen may have an incredibly bright future.
The Penguins also added Vasily Ponomarev and Cruz Lucius in the Guentzel deal. Both players have a ton of upside but varying degrees of NHL readiness. Ponomarev might reach the Penguins lineup within weeks, while Lucius still needs a few years to stew.
Ponomarev spent most of the 2023-24 season with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League but has scored a couple of points in a couple of NHL games. Lucius is helping lead his ninth University of Wisconsin team with 34 points in 25 games.
The Penguins are hopeful of their newest prospects, and while none of the names were what anyone expected, they should help boost the pipeline rankings.
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