"Recall Kirk McDonald too" "Excellent management": Penguins fans rejoice as Pittsburgh recalls Ville Koivunen & Rutger McGroarty from AHL

The Pittsburgh Penguins have called up forwards Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty from their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Koivunen and McGroarty are two of Pittsburgh's best prospects and have both been extremely productive in the AHL this season.

Twenty-one-year-old Ville Koivunen, who was acquired in the Jake Guentzel deal with Carolina, has racked up 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) in 62 games as a rookie, ranking sixth in the entire league in scoring.

While after a slow start production-wise, 20-year-old Rutger McGroarty is up to 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 60 games, with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in his last 19.

With Wilkes-Barre having already punched their ticket to the AHL playoffs, Kyle Dubas and company are giving some of their young talent a taste of NHL action before they head back down for the postseason.

Pens fans reacted to the news of the recalls on Friday morning on X (formerly Twitter).

"Can we recall Kirk Macdonald too," one fan wrote.

"Excellent management. Two players that weren't ready, have improved notably in the AHL all year, now let's see where they stand (so we know what to work on in the summer) and then send them down for the playoffs," another fan wrote.

"30 games too late," added another fan.

More fan reaction poured in on X.

"Nothing wrong with giving them a cup of coffee at the NHL level to reward them for their solid play this year," another fan wrote on X.

"Wbs clinched, why not give them a few nhl games before AHL playoffs," added another fan.

"Pumped to see them," one more fan added.

It's been a disappointing season for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans. Recalling two of their most anticipated prospects provides them some excitement and hope for the future as they finish off the 2024-25 regular season.

Penguins are hoping this is the start of a turnaround

The Pittsburgh Penguins are going to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season.

With a 29-34-11 record and just 69 points, Pittsburgh is 26th in the NHL standings and could fall even further if teams below take advantage of games in hand.

General manager Kyle Dubas made it clear over the last year and a half that he's trying to retool the roster to inject some youth into the lineup. Promising prospects like Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty will be key to the Penguins returning to contention.

Combine that with the potential of a top-five selection in the upcoming 2025 NHL draft, and Pittsburgh could turn things around quicker than many expect.

Koivunen and McGroarty will be inserted into the Penguins' lineup when they host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. The puck drops at 5 p.m. EDT at PPG Paints Arena.