The Penguins acquired the rights to left-handed winger Oliver Okuliar from the Panthers in exchange for defense prospect Emil Pieniniemi.
Okuliar, 26, is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound restricted free agent who was undrafted. He signed a one-year deal with Florida in 2024-25 and spent the year in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, where he recorded 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 69 games. The Panthers qualified him last summer to retain his rights, and Okuliar signed a two-year deal with Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League that keeps him in Sweden through 2026-27. He recorded 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 46 games last season.
Okuliar played for his native Slovakia in the Olympics. After a scrum between the U.S. and Slovakia, Okuliar told the Czech outlet iDNES that Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are "scumbags, both of them. They’re not even good hockey players, they just do this sh---, that’s exactly their style." Probably not the best way to endear himself to Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers, in hindsight.
Pieniniemi, 21, was the Penguins' 2023 third-round pick. He was assigned to Wheeling of the ECHL out of camp this season, refused to report, was suspended by the team and went home to Finland in hopes that the Penguins would loan him to a team in the Finnish league. When it became clear in December that the Penguins wouldn't budge, he returned from Finland and reported to Wheeling. I spoke with Pieniniemi about his holdolut and his year earlier this month for this story.
Pieniniemi wasn't a lock to have full-time AHL time next season, given the returning defensemen in Wilkes-Barre. Okuliar will likely still play in Sweden next season, but could be someone who comes over to North America in the future and bolsters the pool of young forwards. Seems like a swap of two players who might have potential, but didn't have a clear path with their original organizations.
THE ASYLUM
Forward Okuliar acquired from Panthers
The Penguins acquired the rights to left-handed winger Oliver Okuliar from the Panthers in exchange for defense prospect Emil Pieniniemi.
Okuliar, 26, is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound restricted free agent who was undrafted. He signed a one-year deal with Florida in 2024-25 and spent the year in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, where he recorded 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 69 games. The Panthers qualified him last summer to retain his rights, and Okuliar signed a two-year deal with Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League that keeps him in Sweden through 2026-27. He recorded 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 46 games last season.
Okuliar played for his native Slovakia in the Olympics. After a scrum between the U.S. and Slovakia, Okuliar told the Czech outlet iDNES that Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are "scumbags, both of them. They’re not even good hockey players, they just do this sh---, that’s exactly their style." Probably not the best way to endear himself to Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers, in hindsight.
Pieniniemi, 21, was the Penguins' 2023 third-round pick. He was assigned to Wheeling of the ECHL out of camp this season, refused to report, was suspended by the team and went home to Finland in hopes that the Penguins would loan him to a team in the Finnish league. When it became clear in December that the Penguins wouldn't budge, he returned from Finland and reported to Wheeling. I spoke with Pieniniemi about his holdolut and his year earlier this month for this story.
Pieniniemi wasn't a lock to have full-time AHL time next season, given the returning defensemen in Wilkes-Barre. Okuliar will likely still play in Sweden next season, but could be someone who comes over to North America in the future and bolsters the pool of young forwards. Seems like a swap of two players who might have potential, but didn't have a clear path with their original organizations.
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