Ville Koivunen was feeling pretty good Tuesday.<\/p>\n
During a practice session in Cranberry, the Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward was skating into the offensive zone on the right wing, then \u2026 THUD!<\/p>\n
That was the noise his body made when it was slammed to the ice on the blue line, thanks to a hammer of a body check by defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.<\/p>\n
Koivunen, on injured reserve because of an unspecified ailment, hopped up and continued with the drill as if nothing had happened.<\/p>\n
Being deposited his backside in such an involuntarily audible manner obviously wasn\u2019t a positive sensation. But being able to absorb some punishment and knowing he was still able to carry on with his duties was beneficial for Koivunen, who has been sidelined the past three games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good,\u201d Koivunen said. \u201cIt means the leg is good. It wasn\u2019t that hard. I wasn\u2019t ready for that at all. I was surprised, but it isn\u2019t too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
The overall audit of Koivunen\u2019s season hasn\u2019t necessarily been bad. But it would be generous to describe it as good.<\/p>\n
In 11 NHL contests, he has two assists while averaging 12 minutes, 34 seconds of ice time.<\/p>\n
Sprinkled throughout those figures are absences from the NHL roster, including his ongoing recovery from injury.<\/p>\n
After opening the season on the left wing of the top line, Koivunen was assigned to Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton on Oct. 11 in part because of underwhelming play.<\/p>\n
After two productive weeks at the AHL level \u2014 he generated 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in six games \u2014 he was recalled to the NHL roster Oct. 26 and largely inhabited a role on the third line.<\/p>\n
The offensive touch he displayed in the AHL and with the NHL club late last season (he had seven assists in eight games with Pittsburgh in the final weeks of 2025-26) hasn\u2019t been matched so far this season.<\/p>\n
Still a prospect in essence, the 22-year-old remains a work in progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince coming back (from Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton), if you look at the areas that he\u2019s getting to offensively, there have been a lot of chances,\u201d coach Dan Muse said. \u201cNow, it\u2019s how can he take that next step and turn some of those scoring chances into whether it\u2019s goals or plays that are leading goals and helping to create offense there, five on five. It\u2019s continuing to just work with him in those areas on the ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is working at it. Working at some of those details. Sometimes, it takes time in the (NHL). But he has shown a willingness to work on them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Koivunen appears set to be part of the team\u2019s lineup for Wednesday\u2019s home game against the Buffalo Sabres.<\/p>\n
During Tuesday\u2019s practice, he largely operated on the left wing of the third line with rookie Tristan Broz at center and veteran Tommy Novak at right wing. He also worked on the second power-play unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying with Tommy here a lot,\u201d Koivunen said. \u201c(Broz with Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton) last year, a lot of games. I know how they play. It feels good. They have a lot of skill on the ice. I think we can do some damage in the (offensive) zone. I hope we can get going there and play good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Getting his first career NHL goal would be congruent with that pursuit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got to feel good,\u201d Koivunen said. \u201cIt always feels good (to score) when you don\u2019t score in a long time. I haven\u2019t scored (yet) here in the NHL in a lot of games. I\u2019m going to feel good if that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Muse suggested, Koivunen has had opportunities to find that goal.<\/p>\n
pic.twitter.com\/wjhAxlcITq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EN Videos (@ENVideos19) November 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good sign, of course, a lot of good chances,\u201d Koivunen said. \u201cSometimes, I don\u2019t know how it doesn\u2019t go in. But hopefully, it goes in some day.\u201d<\/p>\n That would also be a good outcome for Koivunen. <\/p>\n \u201cJust have to get the chances,\u201d Koivunen said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve gotten those. Now, I just have to do something with those chances. Score goals and that kind of things.\u201d <\/p>\n Notes: Muse suggested goaltender Tristan Jarry (undisclosed injury) and forward Bryan Rust (illness) would be available for Wednesday\u2019s game. Jarry has been on injured reserve since Nov. 4, and Rust has missed the past two days of practice. \u2026 To make room for Jarry or Koivunen to potentially rejoin the active roster, rookie forward Sam Poulin was assigned to Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton. \u2026 Forward Noel Acciari (undisclosed), Justin Brazeau (undisclosed) and Filip Hallander (blood clot) skated before practice Tuesday. All three are on injured reserve. \u2026 Defensive prospect Finn Harding was assigned from Wilkes-Barre\/Scranton to Wheeling of the ECHL.<\/p>\n Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n