What happened: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ville Koivunen has five points through 10 games of the 2026-27 NHL regular season after scoring in overtime on Saturday and adding a goal on Thursday. Paired with Hendrix Lapierre in sheltered five-on-five deployments, the winger has translated his AHL playmaking into sustained offensive-zone possession.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh signed the under-25 forward to an eight-year, $32 million contract before the league's eight-year term limit expired, betting that a rising salary cap and lower buyout rates for younger players would make the $4 million annual cap hit a bargain. After hesitating on prime shooting looks during the 2025-26 campaign, Koivunen is playing with a quicker release and giving the rebuilding Penguins productive middle-six scoring.

What to watch: Pittsburgh will evaluate whether Koivunen and Lapierre can maintain their 5-on-5 expected-goals edge as opposing coaching staffs adjust matchups against their line.