If professional sports teams operated like a direct democracy, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry might have been traded for a seventh-round pick or less this summer. However, fans don’t get to manage their favorite teams through American Idol-style voting. So, as goalies dominated NHL trade rumors, Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas wisely held his ground.
It wasn’t until mid-June that Dubas re-signed backup/1A goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to a two-year, $5 million contract.
Initially, the Penguins’ goaltending situation seemed set. Jarry, 29, had a strong season until he faltered during the team’s late-season collapse. Nedeljkovic, 28, experienced a career resurgence, transitioning from backup to a 1A goalie. He started the final 14 games of the season during the Penguins’ intense push for the last playoff spot, which, though exciting, was ultimately too little, too late.
Top goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist had an impressive year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, posting a .921 save percentage. Dubas was prepared to promote Blomqvist to the NHL if he performed well in the AHL playoffs.
However, Blomqvist struggled in the postseason, prompting Dubas to re-sign Nedeljkovic to give Blomqvist “time to breathe.”
With three goalies at different career stages—a starter, a 1A, and a rising prospect—the goaltending situation appeared settled, right? Wrong.
Taylor Gauthier, 23, seemed to be the forgotten man. Gauthier performed well for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL with a .923 save percentage and was expected to become the WBS backup behind Blomqvist.
On April 29, Dubas signed 25-year-old former Detroit Red Wings sixth-round pick Filip Larsson. After a brief North American stint in the ECHL and AHL before COVID-19, Larsson returned to Sweden’s Elite League, where he posted save percentages above .920 last season with Leksands IF.
Larsson and Gauthier appeared poised to compete for the second spot in WBS. But, wrong again.
On Tuesday, the Penguins completed their coup by signing 2022 fourth-round pick Sergei Murashov. The Russian goalie, who joined Development Camp in early July, is now coming to North America. Murashov, a rising star in the prospect world, posted a .930 save percentage in Russian juniors and a .925 stopper rate in six KHL games.
The fact that Murashov, 20, played in the KHL, arguably the second-best league in the world, and performed well is significant.
Pittsburgh, meet Sergei Murashov 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/6dtGzL5FlW
— ChelPenguins (@ChelPenguins) July 30, 2024
Penguins’ Goalie Depth Chart
Jarry, the Penguins’ 2013 second-round pick (44th overall), finds himself in a familiar situation. In 2015-16, he was stuck behind starting goalies Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury until Murray displaced Fleury, leading to the latter’s departure via the Vegas Expansion Draft.
The Penguins haven’t had a pair of legitimate goalie prospects since. Jarry, once at the bottom of the depth chart pushing upward, is now at the top pushing down.
Significant questions remain. Which goalie will rise faster from the WBS Penguins? Could Murashov surpass Blomqvist, making a quick leap and forcing a Penguins trade? Will Blomqvist solidify his game and be ready in-season, necessitating a Penguins trade?
What about Larsson? He probably didn’t sign a contract to play in Wheeling. And Gauthier? He’s put in his time and deserves an AHL chance.
A Tristan Jarry trade seems more likely by the day. Previous opinions suggested next summer would be ideal, allowing Blomqvist another year of development. However, Murashov’s arrival disrupts that timeline, as both he and Blomqvist need playing time.
The offseason is essentially over. Teams have made their moves. The LA Kings acquired Darcy Kuemper in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, while the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators made significant trades for Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark, respectively.
There might be a few teams, like the Chicago Blackhawks or San Jose Sharks, that could use a goalie upgrade, but they lack the urgency due to their rebuilding stages.
Yet, a Tristan Jarry trade now seems inevitable. Murashov’s arrival makes it a matter of when, not if.
I mean, did you see those saves by Murashov?
