NHL • January 20, 2026
The Pittsburgh Penguins dipped into the trade market on Tuesday to add a new layer of protection on the back end, landing defenceman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in a deal that sends forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round pick the other way. It’s the kind of move that rarely screams blockbuster, but often matters in the cold middle stretch of a season — when injuries stack up, schedules tighten, and a team’s “just in case” options suddenly become its nightly lineup.
Solovyov, 25, arrives as a practical piece: a big-bodied, right-now-usable defender who has toggled between the NHL and AHL and knows what it looks like when a contending roster needs someone to keep a shift calm. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, and this season he has appeared in 16 NHL games with Colorado, recording three points while averaging a little over 11 minutes per night. His latest NHL run came earlier this month when the Avalanche needed cover on the blue line due to injuries.
The Penguins’ angle is straightforward: depth that can survive the grind. Solovyov isn’t being brought in to headline a power play or change the team’s identity. He’s being brought in to help the coaching staff sleep — to offer a reliable option when the blue line gets banged up, when matchups get uncomfortable, or when the team needs a steady shift to reset momentum. He skates well enough to keep structure, and his size gives him a chance to win the small battles that pile up over 60 minutes.
Contractually, the fit is tidy. Solovyov is signed through the 2025–26 season with an NHL cap hit of $775,000, which keeps the transaction in the “useful and manageable” category. For Pittsburgh, that flexibility matters — not just for today’s roster puzzle, but for how the club navigates the season’s next decision points without getting boxed in.
If you zoom out, Solovyov’s profile reads like a modern depth defender’s map: lots of pro games, lots of bus miles, and a steady climb that’s forced him to learn how to contribute without perfect circumstances. He was originally a seventh-round pick (205th overall) by Calgary in 2020, then built his résumé primarily in the AHL before carving out NHL appearances. Across 232 career AHL games, he has produced 69 points — not a number that defines him, but one that suggests he can move a puck and keep a play alive when the moment calls for it.
For Colorado, the return is a different kind of depth — the kind that can help an organization in multiple places. Puustinen, a 26-year-old right winger drafted by Pittsburgh in 2019, has spent the 2025–26 season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the AHL, posting 26 points in 35 games. He has also appeared in 66 NHL games across his career, and while he hasn’t locked down a permanent role at the top level, he’s the type of player teams like to have around: someone who can score in the minors and be a call-up option when injuries or schedule congestion demand it.
The late-round pick attached to the deal is the familiar sweetener that often nudges these trades over the line. A seventh-rounder isn’t guaranteed value, but it’s a ticket to possibility — the kind teams stockpile because every so often, a long shot becomes a story.
For the Penguins, the real test won’t be the trade card, but the usage. If Solovyov gets dropped into a lineup and asked to play simple, hard minutes — protect the slot, keep gaps reasonable, make the first pass — the move can quietly pay off. And if the blue line stays healthy, he still offers something that teams chasing points can’t afford to ignore: insurance. In January, that can be the difference between patching a problem for one night and watching it become a two-week slide.
Pittsburgh’s official announcement of the deal, including contract and season details, is available via the Penguins’ release on NHL.com.
By Swikriti
