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Over the weekend, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers swung a trade with one another, as the Panthers landed Oliver Okuliar from the Panthers in return for Emil Pieniniemi.

And now, general manager Kyle Dubas hasn’t wasted any time getting his newest acquisition signed to a new contract for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins Have Signed Forward Oliver Okuliar To A New Contract

Shortly after acquiring the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Okuliar from the Panthers, Kyle Dubas signed him to a one-year contract; he had been an unrestricted free agent. The contract is a two-way deal and is worth $850,000 at the NHL level.

He played in 46 regular-season games for Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Hockey League during the 2025-26 season, producing 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points while posting a plus-17 rating. His contributions helped the club secure the league’s top regular-season finish. He elevated his game in the playoffs, tying for the SHL lead with six goals and ranking second in postseason scoring with 13 points across 15 contests as Skellefteå captured the league championship.

On the international stage, the Trenčín, Slovakia, native represented his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics, collecting one goal and one assist in six appearances. He also suited up for Slovakia at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, tying for third on the team in scoring.

Earlier in his career, he also competed for Slovakia at the 2023 World Championship, the 2020 World Junior Championship, and the 2018 Under-18 World Championship. The 26-year-old has built a diverse professional résumé, spending time in the American Hockey League, Czech Extraliga, Finland’s Liiga, and Slovakia’s top professional league. During the 2024-25 season with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, Okuliar registered 41 points on 19 goals and 22 assists in 69 regular-season games. He followed that up with eight points, including four goals, in 18 Calder Cup Playoff contests.

The Penguins Have Multiple Decisions Ahead Of Them

According to a recently released report from Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe of The Athletic, both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are on the trading block once again as they were last summer.

While Dubas shopped around for both players, along with veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson, he wasn’t able to find a buyer, and all three players remained with the club for the 2025-26 NHL season.

The Penguins surpassed all reasonable expectations in the season that was, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with head coach Dan Muse behind the bench for the first time since 2022.

However, they were eliminated in the postseason during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal by the in-state rival Philadelphia Flyers. Additionally, they did manage to get pending UFA forward and future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin locked up to a one-year contract extension, keeping him in Pittsburgh for at least one more year.