By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter @BlackAndGold277
This afternoon the National Hockey League Boston Bruins announced that the team had signed forward Joona Koppanen to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth a reported $750,000 at the NHL level and $80,000 with the B’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins.
Since Joonas’ arrival to the United States to play professional hockey, the 24-year-old has appeared in 181 career AHL games posting 27-31-58 numbers. In the 2021-22 AHL season, Koppanen set AHL career highs as he continues to develop with the NHL Bruins top minor-pro affiliate, where he contributed 11-19-30 totals in 62 games.
Koppanen isn’t going to break scoring records in the American League, but he provides grit and size with a never back down attitude when it comes to sticking up for a fellow teammate. He’s also a valued asset along the boards and around the opposing net, creating havoc around the crease. Joona does possess a decent skill set offensively and is an influential player on the penalty kill. This is another solid signing as you can never have enough depth in the system, and a versatile forward like him could be used at the NHL level fourth line in case of an emergency filing a roster spot.
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