Hockey fans have been expecting a few more big-time RFA contract extensions to be signed this summer, but certainly not the one that came about on Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that they had signed forward Ville Koivunen to an eight-year, $32 million contract extension that will pay him $4 million annually through the 2033-34 campaign.

It was a rather shocking move by Kyle Dubas given Koivunen’s lack of experience and production in limited action. Pittsburgh’s general manager clearly believes in his young winger, however, having acquired him as a main piece in the return from Carolina for Jake Guentzel before now locking him up long-term just a few years later.

The 23-year-old had just played out his three-year, $2.42 million entry-level contract originally signed with the Hurricanes back in 2021. He registered only seven points (two goals, five assists) in 39 games played for the Penguins last season. He did tally seven points (seven assists) in his first eight NHL games during the prior campaign (2024-25).

While many have been quite to critize the deal, team reporter Josh Yohe provided some context into Dubas’ decision.

“I was told that Dubas sees the Koivunen deal as ‘low risk, high reward.’ Which is to say, the cap is rising to the point that he’s willing to risk losing $4 million annually for eight years if Koivunen is a bust,”

It is understandable given the increasingly rising salary cap, and if Koivunen can emerge as a legitimate middle-six NHL winger, then $4 million could even look like good value later on down the road.

Dubas and the Penguins are undoubtedly going out on a limb with this one, but it should be noted that Koivunen has been a point-per-game player in the AHL for the past two seasons, so there is reason to believe he can turn into something. The contract certainly does put some added pressure on everyone involved moving forward though.

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