The Pittsburgh Penguins have made another move to clear up some space on their roster.
On Friday, they placed Finnish forward Joona Koppanen on waivers. The 6-foot-5, 216-pound left wing has just one point in 10 NHL games this season and is a minus-1.
Koppanen, 27, signed a one-year deal with the Penguins this summer and started the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS). In six AHL games, he registered a goal and two points and was a plus-3, along with being a steady defensive presence at five-on-five and the penalty kill.
However, a Penguins' lineup that has become increasingly more crowded led to a healthy scratch Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers and, again, Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Penguins have won their past two games with forwards Rutger McGroarty and Boko Imama in their lineup, and they were both recalled from WBS ahead of Monday's game.
The decision to waive Koppanen could also come in conjunction with a potential return to the lineup for one of the Penguins' injured forwards. Justin Brazeau - who has six goals and 12 points in 12 games this season - and Noel Acciari made the Penguins' current road trip and will both travel with the team to Dallas, where they will take on the Stars Sunday.
Takeaways: Luck On Penguins' Side As They Steal Controversial 4-3 Win Over LightningWell, that was one of the crazier National Hockey League games you might ever witness.
Earlier this week on the GM Show, Penguins' GM/POHO Kyle Dubas said that Brazeau and Acciari would be ready in approximately seven to 10 days, and Sunday would fall just short of that parameter. However, the Penguins would have needed to waive Koppanen Friday - barring any non-roster waivers reason - in order for one of the two forwards to be activated ahead of Sunday's game. They also have 12 forwards, anyway, in the event that either Brazeau or Acciari aren't ready Sunday and Koppanen wouldn't be in the lineup.
Pittsburgh will face Dallas Sunday before coming home to square up against the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks Tuesday.
Revisiting The Jake Guentzel Trade TreeOn Thursday, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> will take on the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> in Florida, as Pittsburgh looks to hold onto its playoff positioning and Tampa looks to extend its Atlantic Division lead.
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