Penguins Recall Ville Koivunen, Sign Taylor Gauthier

The Pittsburgh Penguins are calling in some forward reinforcements. According to team beat writer Josh Yohe, the Penguins have recalled Ville Koivunen from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Additionally, Pittsburgh has given netminder Taylor Gauthier an NHL contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, as announced by the club. Gauthier will remain with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers for now, but would serve as immediate injury help come playoff time.

Koivunen, 22, was acquired by the Penguins a few years ago from the Carolina Hurricanes in the trade that sent Jake Guentzel to Raleigh. He’s worked his way up the organizational hierarchy since, largely due to his substantial efforts in the AHL.

In his first two years with the organization, Koivunen has nearly been a point-per-game player with the AHL Penguins, registering 33 goals and 90 points in 103 games with a +10 rating. He has been so impressive with WBS that he’s effectively split his time between the AHL and NHL this season.

Still, he’s remained isolated in a bottom-six role in Pittsburgh. In 27 games this year, Koivunen has scored two goals and five points, averaging 12:41 of ice time with a -5 rating. After acquiring Elmer Söderblom earlier today, it’ll be interesting to see how the Penguins utilize Koivunen if he stays on the NHL roster.

Meanwhile, Gauthier, 25, has been electric in the ECHL since signing as an undrafted free agent with the Penguins a few years ago. Across four years, Gauthier has managed a 61-39-9 record for the Nailers with a .920 SV% and 2.28 GAA. He has appeared in a few games for the AHL Penguins over that stretch, owning a 10-5-7 record in 25 games with a .908 SV% and 2.77 GAA.