Out with Emil Pieniniemi Saturday, in with Oliver Okuliar Monday. The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Okuliar in the trade for their prospect defenseman last weekend and signed Okuliar to a new contract Monday.
Okuliar, 26, was a restricted free agent whom the Florida Panthers were not going to re-sign. His new deal with the Penguins is a two-way deal for one year and $850,000 at the NHL level.
The forward was a notable part of Team Slovakia in the Winter Olympics, and matched the Tkachuk brother’s physicality in the semi-final matchup. In fact, Okuliar had some terse words for Matthew and Brady after the game.
“Scumbags, both of them,” Okuliar told reporters. “They’re not even good hockey players, they just do this sh*t. That’s exactly their style.”
Okuliar had two points, including a goal in six Olympic games.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward plays with relentless energy and physicality, too. He spent the 2025-26 season with Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) scoring 15 goals with 14 assists, and 29 points. He was also a plus-17, helping them to the league’s best regular-season record.
In the SHL playoffs, Okuliar finished tied for first in the SHL in goals (6) and was second overall in points (13) in 15 games en route to an SHL Championship.
Okuliar also spent one season in North America, playing 69 games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL in 2023-24. Statistically, he acquitted himself well with 19 goals and 41 points before returning home after the season.
He is listed as a center, with could both fill organizational depth, but also a veteran hole in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins lineup, as Joona Koppanen left the organization for the SHL.
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