With preseason less than a month away, the Pittsburgh Penguins are busy putting the finishing touches on their offseason. On Aug. 22, the Penguins made a trade with the Winnipeg Jets involving some top prospects. Pittsburgh sent forward Brayden Yager to Winnipeg in exchange for Rutger McGroarty. McGroarty was drafted 14th overall by the Jets in 2022 and is currently among the NHL’s top prospects. He scored 52 points last season in 36 games at the University of Michigan. General manager Kyle Dubas is continuing his push to make his team younger, and there is a strong possibility that some of the other Penguins’ prospects will make their NHL debut this season.
Sergei Murashov
On July 30, Pittsburgh signed Sergei Murashov to a three-year entry-level contract. The Penguins drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he is easily one of their top five best prospects. Over the past two seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), Russia’s top professional league, Murashov was 4-1-2 through seven games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and posted a .928 save percentage (SV%).
Murashov was a standout at the Penguins’ development camp at the beginning of July. He posted two shutouts in his first two games and only gave up one goal to Yager in the championship game. This makes Pittsburgh’s goaltending situation even more interesting. Behind starter Tristan Jarry and backup Alex Nedeljkovic are Murashov and Joel Blomqvist. It is no secret that Jarry has struggled with consistency and if this season starts to go south for him, Murashov could get a taste of the NHL sooner than he expected.
Joel Blomqvist
Even though most of the goaltending headlines have revolved around Murashov this summer, Blomqvist is still next in line behind Nedeljkovic. Last season, he played in 45 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and had a .921 SV%. He was also ranked third in the American Hockey League (GAA) in goals-against average (GAA) with a 2.16.
At 22 years old, there is no doubt he could be the goalie of the future, and there is a very real possibility that fans will see him on the ice in Pittsburgh this season.
Owen Pickering
Owen Pickering was drafted by the Penguins at number 21 in the 2022 Draft. Since then, the team has kept a close eye on his development which has been progressing nicely. It is no secret that Pittsburgh needs some help on defense and Pickering could be an option this season. His mobility and puck handling skills are good, but he will need to make up for lost time at training camp in September.
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Due to injuries, Pickering has been unable to participate in camp for the last two seasons and the Penguins are hoping he comes in with a bang this year. At 6-foot-3, 179 pounds, he has been working on his weight gain and muscle mass. At 20 years old he has plenty of time to continue growing on and off the ice. Pittsburgh’s top four defensemen are pretty much set in stone, however, there are two more spots to fill and they will definitely be keeping a close eye on the young defenseman during camp.
How Will the Penguins Perform This Season?
This offseason has been an interesting one for the Penguins. Dubas has been diligently working behind the scenes to prepare for the upcoming season and beyond. There is no doubt that Pittsburgh has a lot of young, promising talent coming up the ranks, but will that make a difference this season? It seems like they spent the offseason focusing on the future more than the here and now. Have they done enough to return to the postseason this year? With the first preseason game set for Sept. 21 against the Buffalo Sabres, fans will not have to wait long to find out.
