Florida Panthers Acquire Defenseman Emil Pieniniemi

The Florida Panthers have acquired 21-year-old Finnish defenseman Emil Pieniniemi from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the rights to forward Oliver Okuliar, as announced by GM Bill Zito on June 13, 2026. Pieniniemi, originally selected 91st overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, spent the 2025-26 season split between the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (9 games, 3 points) and the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers (26 games, 11 points), where he led all defensemen in playoff scoring. The 6-foot-2 native of Kuopio, Finland has also represented his country internationally, earning a silver medal at the 2025 IIHF U20 World Championship.