New Delhi, June 14 -- PITTSBURGH - When Emil Pieniniemi refused his assignment to the Wheeling Nailers at the start of this season and flew back to Finland instead, the Pittsburgh Penguins suspended him and waited. He eventually returned. He played 26 games in the ECHL, added nine in the American Hockey League, and then, on Saturday morning, the organization moved on entirely - trading him to the Florida Panthers for the rights to Swedish Hockey League forward Oliver Okuliar.

he is not going into the open market for a defensive fix.

Pittsburgh returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 this season, losing in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers. The run validated the work that president of hockey operations and general...