The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have strengthened their roster for the upcoming Calder Cup playoffs by adding four promising prospects from the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Defenseman Owen Pickering, who was the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft, has been assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after a successful season with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Pickering, a left-handed defenseman, has shown his offensive abilities by recording 46 points in 59 WHL games.
Joining Pickering are forwards Cooper Foster and Ville Koivunen, both of whom have signed amateur tryout contracts (ATOs). Foster, a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft, had a productive season with the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), registering 52 points in 59 games. Koivunen, acquired by the Penguins in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, finished second in scoring for Karpat in Finland’s Liiga with 56 points in 59 games.
The fourth prospect added to the roster is defenseman Emil Pieniniemi, a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft. Pieniniemi, like Koivunen, spent the majority of the season with Karpat, recording six points in 38 games.
The Penguins are scheduled to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, with Game 1 taking place on April 24 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The additions of Pickering, Foster, Koivunen, and Pieniniemi will provide the team with a boost as they look to make a deep playoff run.
