The Pittsburgh Penguins surprised NHL followers on Thursday by announcing one of the most talked-about contracts of the summer so far. The team announced that they have signed Finnish forward Ville Koivunen to a staggering eight-year extension.

The maximum-length contract brings the 23-year-old Finn an annual salary of four million dollars, making the total value of the deal a staggering 32 million dollars relative to the player’s performance so far.

Koivunen has played only 47 regular season games in the NHL. The Carolina Hurricanes’ second-round pick from 2021 has scored a total of two goals and 14 points in those games.

The contract immediately sparked strong reactions in North America. NHL reporter Mark Madden, who has followed the Penguins for a long time, expressed his opinion very bluntly on social media.

– Is this f*cking a joke? Madden exclaimed.

Koivunen played 39 games in the NHL last season, recording 2+5=7 points. In the AHL, the Finnish prospect was significantly more effective, scoring 13+28=41 points in 34 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Penguins have re-signed restricted free agent forward Ville Koivunen to an eight-year contract.

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