The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are beefing up their roster with new prospects and recent draft picks, including Ville Koivunen and 2022 first-round selection Owen Pickering, who was recently acquired. Koivunen, making his second appearance in North America after a stint with the Chicago Wolves last season, joins the team alongside defensemen Pickering and Emil Pieniniemi, and forward Cooper Foster. These additions come ahead of the team’s upcoming best-of-three series against the Lehigh Valley Phantom, set to commence Wednesday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Pickering, assigned to WBS from the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins, previously logged eight games with WBS but didn’t tally any points. He’s showcased his skills as a top performer among Swift Current defensemen, leading in assists and points for three consecutive seasons. Koivunen, acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Jake Guentzel trade, played a significant role for Karpat in the Finnish Elite League, posting impressive stats in goals, assists, and points. Pieniniemi, drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft, showed promise as a rookie for Karpat, while Foster, a sixth-round pick in the same draft, demonstrated his scoring abilities with 52 points in 59 games.

Tags: Owen Pickering, Pitttsburgh Penguins