The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Ilya Solovyov from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade that sends forward Valtteri Puustinen and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to Colorado. The announcement was made by Kyle Dubas, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Penguins.
Solovyov, 25, is under contract through the 2025-26 season with an average annual value of $775,000. This season, he has played both for the Avalanche and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. In 16 games with Colorado’s NHL team, Solovyov scored one goal and added two assists. He also appeared in three games with the Eagles.
Since beginning his North American professional career in 2021-22, Solovyov has played five seasons at this level. Over 232 AHL games with teams including Colorado, Calgary, and Stockton, he has registered 18 goals and 51 assists. In the NHL, he has appeared in 31 games over three seasons with Colorado and Calgary, tallying one goal and six assists.
Before his professional career began, Solovyov spent a season playing for Dinamo Minsk in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he recorded nine points across 41 games. He also played junior hockey in Canada’s Ontario Hockey League with Saginaw Spirit during the 2019-20 season.
Internationally, Solovyov represented Belarus at both the 2018 World Under-18 Championship and the 2021 World Championship. He was originally selected by Calgary as the 205th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in 1967, they compete in the National Hockey League and have won several Stanley Cup titles while supporting youth development through community initiatives (official website).
