Penguins Place Six Players On Waivers, Including 9-Year Veteran Forward

Thursday, October 02, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Danton Heinen celebrates goal with teammates during 2025 game.

The Pittsburgh Penguins took a major step toward finalizing their opening night roster on Thursday, placing six players on waivers. 

Forwards Danton Heinen, Joona Koppanen, and Valtteri Puustinen, defensemen Sebastian Aho and Philip Kemp, and goaltender Filip Larsson were all placed on the wire. 

If unclaimed by Friday, the group will be assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Penguins Waive Six Players, Heinen Among Surprising Cuts

The biggest name is Heinen, a 30-year-old veteran in his second stint with Pittsburgh. Signed to a two-year, $2.25 million deal, Heinen was expected to add depth scoring but failed to register a point in four preseason games. 

He’s played 566 NHL games across nine seasons, including 169 with the Penguins, and hasn’t seen AHL action since 2018. His availability on waivers shows how tight the roster competition has become.

Puustinen, Koppanen, and Larsson were also notable cuts, with Puustinen coming off another strong year in the AHL and Larsson having pushed for an NHL backup role. 

Defenseman Aho and newcomer Kemp round out the group. With Bryan Rust and Jack St. Ivany already on injured reserve, the Penguins’ final roster picture is still fluid. 

More cuts are expected before Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline to reach the 23-man limit.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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