The Penguins have signed defenseman Juuso Riikola to a two-year contract extension, Jim Rutherford announced on Saturday.
The deal carries an average annual value of $1.15 million, an increase from his 2019-20 cap hit of $850,000.
"When he is on his game, Juuso has shown the ability to be a solid contributor for our team," Rutherford said of Riikola in a press release. "We feel he is going to take the next step forward in his development."
The "next step forward" for Riikola would be challenging for a regular spot in the lineup, something he's yet to achieve in his first two seasons in North America.
Riikola, 26, played just 36 games in the 2019-20 season, with four of those games being at forward. He played 37 NHL games in his rookie season, followed by a short five-game stint in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the end of the season.
If Riikola is to earn a regular spot in the lineup, he could potentially challenge Jack Johnson for his spot.
The Penguins' top-four on defense is all but locked in: Brian Dumoulin and Kris Letang on the top pairing, and Marcus Pettersson and John Marino on the second pairing.
Johnson remains for the left side on the third pairing, and his partner Justin Schultz is an unrestricted free agent who is not expected to return. Chad Ruhwedel, a right-handed shot, is under contract for the next two seasons and will likely remain a depth option for the Penguins.
Riikola is a left-handed shot like Johnson, and while he's capable of playing both the right and left side on defense, his natural side is on the left. Johnson, unlike Riikola, isn't capable of comfortably playing on the right side.
Riikola could play on the right side alongside Johnson next season, as he did this season when the two were paired. But if the Penguins want to put Riikola in a spot where he is best suited, it would be on the left side, which would require knocking Johnson out of the lineup.
With Riikola locked up for two years, the Penguins have six restricted free agents from the NHL roster remaining: Forwards Jared McCann, Dominik Simon, Sam Lafferty, and Anthony Angello, and goaltenders Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry.
There are additionally four restricted free agents in the minor leagues who remain unsigned: Defenseman John Nyberg, who has already signed a multi-year contract in Sweden, forward Pontus Aberg, who was acquired in the Kasperi Kapanen trade and already under contract in Russia next season, and forwards Graham Knott and Sam Miletic.