A year after a breakout season in the Liiga with 56 points in 59 games in 2023-24, Ville Koivunen joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and led the team with 56 points in 63 games–earning a spot on the AHL All-Rookie Team–and debuted at the NHL level, recording seven assists in eight games. Acquired as part of the Jake Guentzel trade, Koivunen looks close to ready for full-time duty at the NHL level and likely sees a good amount of time in Pittsburgh in 2025-26, moreso if the organization trades either Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell.