The Penguins and Panthers swapped minor leaguers on June 13, sending the rights to forward Oliver Okuliar to Pittsburgh and defenseman Emil Pieniniemi to Florida. Both teams announced the deal at 10:58 a.m. ET, a small transaction on paper that still changes two prospect lists and could shape whether one winger stays overseas or returns to North America.
Pieniniemi, 21, was the player on the move out of Pittsburgh. The third-round pick in 2023 spent October in limbo after being assigned to the ECHL and refusing to report, which led to an indefinite suspension before he eventually changed course and played 26 regular-season games with Wheeling after more than two months. He finished with six goals and five assists, then added eight points in 15 playoff contests, while also appearing in nine AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and recording one goal and two assists there.
For Florida, Okuliar brings a different profile. The 26-year-old winger signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2024 on a two-way deal, then played exclusively in the AHL and produced 19 goals and 22 assists in 69 games with Charlotte, along with 119 penalty minutes. He later returned overseas and signed a two-year deal with SHL Skelleftea, where he played 46 games this season and scored 15 goals with 14 assists, adding 13 points in 15 postseason appearances.
That last part is what makes the trade harder to read. Okuliar already has one year of team control left as a restricted free agent, but he is also tied to Skelleftea, and the question now is whether Pittsburgh can realistically bring him back to North America or whether the Penguins simply acquired his NHL rights and the possibility of a later move. The answer may depend on whether that Swedish contract includes an NHL out clause, a detail not announced with the swap.
Either way, the trade is a reminder of how much of the league’s business happens far from the spotlight. Pieniniemi gets a fresh start in Florida organization terms, while Pittsburgh takes a swing on a winger whose recent production in the SHL suggests there may still be something useful left to chase if the contract situation allows it.
